A Tourist at Home

The thought of being a tourist in my own hometown was exciting yet sort of confusing. How was I going to walk through the streets I know so well, as if they were completely new? How was I going to mask myself well enough to look as if I didn’t belong? Even though these doubts were rushing through my mind, I prepared myself to go out as a tourist. I browsed through my closet, looking for a combination that would be similar to what I have seen tourists wear whilst exploring. I decided to go with wash-down jeans, some red Vans sneakers and a black t-shirt that reads: “Why Run When You Can Guac?”, where the “o” is an animated avocado, as I concluded it would be most allusive to American culture (and I love puns). So, as I was having a bit of social anxiety as to how I would walk and talk once I got there, I picked up some sunglasses, to mask myself a bit more, and a backpack and head out the door. 

As I walked the busy streets of Condado in San Juan, Puerto Rico on a Saturday afternoon, I looked for ways to act as “touristy” as possible. I was taking as many pictures and selfies as I could, speaking in English and even showed interest in maps, brochures and buying tacky souvenirs. Bear in mind that my dad was a tourist guide for some years, so I had some advice as to how to act! But, the moment of truth came when I asked the man at the souvenir store: “Excuse me sir, “HOLA” (which is Spanish for hello), how do I get to “EL MOROW” (El Morro)?”. He had a confused expression on his face, probably because of my very bad American teenager impersonation. Then, he gave me directions on how to arrive to El Morro as I politely nodded (even though, I think I can get there with my eyes closed). When he was done, I said: “Hm, seems complicated, maybe I should call an Uber.” To which he answered, “Yeah, I think that would be better”. He had a very pronounced accent, and I felt so bad as he struggled to talk to me in English. I answered: “Okay, thanks for your help!” and sprinted away from the store as quickly as possible. I was grateful that he was so nice to me, but the whole situation was uncomfortable. I just wanted to help him and I felt bad for lying to his face. It felt like I was acting back in my high school at drama class, as I was not acting like myself. 

For my last experiment, I headed to Ben & Jerrys near the beach. As I looked around, I noticed many tourists from the nearby hotels as well as many locals who were walking their dogs or going for a jog. Later on, I got to Ben and Jerrys, and I spoke to the cashier in English when I ordered a croissant and an ice cream. Unlike the cashier from the souvenir store, he spoke English fluently. Again, I felt awkward when he greeted me in Spanish, and had to switch to English after I answered. He was also very kind.


Overall, I can say my experience acting like a tourist was great, seeing how I was treated with respect and courtesy. I got to comprehend first-hand how nicely a tourist is treated here, at least at the places I visited. It was a completely new and different treatment of what I’m used to, in a place I know so well. Also, getting to step back and acknowledge all the beauty, activities and culture Puerto Rico has to offer tourists made me realize how much I take for granted. I love my Island, and I invite you to do this exercise of acting like a tourist for a day. See how much you can learn about a place you know like the palm of your hand. 

Multi-genre project: A Tourist At Home comic strip. Drawn by Isabel Bravo.