I have made some packing mistakes in my life. I once brought a full-sized bottle of conditioner on a three-day trip and left the charger for my phone at home. I am not qualified to give professional packing advice. I am qualified to give real packing advice.
Puerto Rico is warm and humid and beautiful and absolutely does not need the things I almost packed. Let me save you some time.
What I packed that I used every single day: lightweight breathable layers (the evenings in Old San Juan surprised me with a breeze), my most comfortable walking shoes (not the cute ones — the true comfort ones), a small cross-body bag that zips and doesn't swing when you're walking cobblestones, reef-safe sunscreen which I bought specifically and used constantly, and a portable phone charger because your phone is working hard when you are in a new place.
What I packed that I was so glad I had: a light rain jacket, rolled up small in the bottom of the bag. El Yunque is a rainforest. The name contains the clue. I was the one dry person in our group for about twenty minutes before everyone started crowding under my jacket, but still. I had the jacket.
What I almost left behind and then decided to bring at the last minute: the foot massager. I know. A foot massager to Puerto Rico. But we were doing a LOT of walking — Old San Juan cobblestones, the Castillo, the markets, the beaches. Those cobblestones are not gentle. I plugged it in at the hotel every evening for twenty minutes and my feet were functional again the next morning instead of staging a rebellion.
What I did not pack and did not need: anything that needed ironing. Linen. Anything I was going to 'save for a nice dinner' because every dinner in Puerto Rico is a nice dinner. Stuff I packed 'just in case.' The just-in-case pile is always the lie.
The real advice: pack half of what you think you need and bring money for the things you find when you get there. The island has everything. The mofongo does not require you to have packed correctly to enjoy it.
Buckle up, buttercup. Over-packing is a form of anxiety. Trust the destination. Trust yourself.
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