A Puerto Rican in Memphis: BBQ, Music, and Southern Heat (In Every Way)

I never thought I'd end up living in Memphis, Tennessee but here I am - a Puerto Rican in the land of blues, barbecue, and accents thicker than abuela's coffee.

The Music, Man
Memphis has music everywhere. Beale Street feels like a nonstop party of blues, jazz, rock - not exactly reggaeton, but it's got the same soul. Sometimes I just wanna grab a drum and start a plena right there on the sidewalk.

The Food
Yeah, I miss my arroz con gandules and pasteles, no doubt. But let me tell you, Memphis BBQ is insanely good. The ribs fall off the bone, the pulled pork has its own rhythm, and when I throw in some tostones on the side, that's what I call cultural fusion.

The People
At first, I thought I was the only Boricua around here. Then little by little, I started meeting people from all over - Argentinians, Mexicans, Bolivians, Colombians - and now we've got our own little Latin crew. We cook, dance, laugh loud, and bring that warm, chaotic energy that feels just like home.

Memphis with Island Flavor
Living here taught me something: you can adapt to a new place without losing who you are. I still speak Spanglish half the time, cook with sofrito, and blast Bad Bunny in my car like it's a Saturday night in San Juan. Memphis might be different, but now it's got a touch of Boricua flavor. And that makes it feel just right.