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Map of San Juan, Puerto Rico

For the Fall 2020 Global Engagement Studio at Arizona State University, we were supposed to travel to Puerto Rico to see our sites and the culture firsthand. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, that travel didn’t happen. Perhaps in an attempt to provide an intimate experience of the place minus the in-person visit, our instructors asked us to create detailed analytical maps. Immediately, I sought a more textile, old-fashioned experience. 30+ hours of prowling through Google Earth and street views, researching local establishments, and drafting by hand produced this final deliverable. This map is less of an intense technical map and more of an intense exploration and careful observation of the island. Through the process, although I’ve still never visited the Isleta of San Juan, I’ve come to learn this place in striking detail. Most of all, this map is a journey, a memory, and a friend.