Puerto Rico has always been my home away from home. My mom was born and raised on the island and I was lucky enough to spend every summer of my childhood there. We would leave New York the day after the last day of school and return the day right before school started in September. Those summers were simply the best. I'd spend my days picking mangoes off the trees in my abuela's backyard, sinking my toes in the sand at the beach and playing with my dolls under the palm trees. It was these same summers that allowed me to share precious time with my abuela. She'd share her secret recipes, showed me how to sew since she was a seamstress and would tell me endless stories about growing up in Puerto Rico.
I wish I could live those summers over and over again.
One of my favorite memories that I shared with her was when she told me she was going to make me a
traje tipico of Puerto Rico. She was going to make me a dress that was a replica of the dresses typically worn by folkloric dancers of Puerto Rico. I was thrilled! I was absolutely over the moon. The next day she took me to the fabric store, I picked out this light blue gingham fabric and within a few days I was twirling around in my new favorite dress.
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| Baby Fashionista! |
20 years later, I'm wearing a very similar off the shoulder dress, twirling around in the streets of Old San Juan and reminiscing about the days I used to spend with my abuela.
Xo,
Maia
Photos by Pedro Angel Morales
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