100 Mondays Later: The 21st-Century Letters Keeping Puerto Rico’s West Coast Connected

This Monday, we sent out the 100th edition of the What’s Up Rincón newsletter.

One hundred Mondays.

One hundred weeks.

Nearly two years of showing up, rain or shine, to the inboxes of people who want to know what’s happening across Puerto Rico’s west coast.

But this isn’t a story about a number.

It’s about the work almost nobody sees.

Sundays aren’t for relaxing

Sundays aren’t for beach days.

They aren’t for grocery shopping.

And they definitely aren’t for slowing down.

For nearly two years, Sundays have meant one thing: making sure the What’s Up Rincón newsletter is ready to land in your inbox on Monday morning; crafted with care, packed with valuable information, fact-checked, and, almost just as importantly, free of spelling mistakes in both English and Spanish.

For the past 100 weeks, that’s been our relentless mission. 

Because newsletters don’t magically appear.

Every edition begins with research, phone calls, messages, digging through social media, confirming dates, double-checking times, verifying details, translating, writing, editing, organizing, and uploading everything into a platform that isn’t always the friendliest.

Then comes one more read-through just to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.

Today the newsletter even includes GIFs.

But behind every section are hours of work that most people will never notice.

And yes, every now and then, we also find ourselves arguing with AI tools that give our blogs sad little faces because they’re “too human,” “too Puerto Rican,” or simply not optimized enough to earn an A in SEO.

It all started with one simple question

What’s Up Rincón began two years ago because two women, a gringa and a San Juan native who both found themselves in Puerto Rico’s beautiful west coast, kept asking the same question.

What’s happening?

How did we miss that amazing festival in Aguada?

Why didn’t anyone tell us about that new business in Añasco?

How did we not know those classes were happening in Cabo Rojo?

When did that circus come to Mayagüez?

How did we hear about that event in Aguadilla after it was already over?

Or that market in Isabela when everyone else had already gone?

Our first answer was simple.

Create one place where everyone could discover what was happening in Rincón, Aguada, Aguadilla, Añasco, Isabela, Cabo Rojo, Mayagüez, Hormigueros, San Germán, Lajas, San Sebastián. And throughout Puerto Rico’s west coast.

Then we realized we were doing something bigger

Over time, we realized the real impact went far beyond simply sharing information.

Every time we feature a local business, we help give it more visibility.

When we publish an event, there’s a better chance someone will show up.

Each time we highlight a community organization, a local initiative, or a cultural project, we help connect people.

Information strengthens communities.

It also supports local economies.

And sometimes, it even helps a lost dog find its way home.

Social media tells part of the story

Social media gives us immediacy.

It’s where we spend countless hours searching, sharing and amplifying posts every single day.

Our website became our permanent home. A trusted guide to local businesses, services, events and resources that shows there are real humans behind this project.

But we still felt something was missing.

How could we deliver information that was more complete?

Better organized.

Easier to digest.

More intentional.

Like VIP access.

Like the Director’s Cut for the people who truly wanted to stay connected.

The answer was a newsletter.

The 21st-Century Letters

That’s how we think of it.

The letters of the 21st century.

A modern community bulletin that gathers everything you should know so you don’t miss what makes Puerto Rico’s west coast so special.

The breathtaking sunsets.

Whale watching season.

Hurricane preparedness.

Tax season reminders.

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gift ideas.

Holiday shopping guides that support local businesses.

The best karaoke nights.

Community bingo.

Where to take chess, taekwondo, tango, salsa, or line dancing classes.

Food festivals.

Art markets.

Live music.

Government services.

Job openings.

Special business hours.

Community events.

Local discounts.

Hidden gems.

If it’s happening on the west coast, we want you to know about it.

Because access to information matters

The newsletter has always been built on one simple belief.

Access to information is just as important as the information itself.

Visibility is just as important, sometimes even more important, than organization.

Communities grow stronger when neighbors share local tips, promote each other’s businesses, spread the word about great events, and invite others to discover everything that makes Puerto Rico’s west coast extraordinary.

Celebrating 100 newsletters

This week we celebrate our 100th newsletter.

But more than celebrating a number, we’re celebrating a community that shares information, recommends places, sends us events, corrects us when needed, and believes, just like we do, that no one should miss something wonderful simply because they never knew it existed.

If you’ve ever discovered a restaurant because of us, found a festival, supported a local business, attended an event, found a job opportunity, or simply felt more connected to Puerto Rico’s west coast, then this newsletter has already fulfilled its mission.

Now we’d love to ask one favor.

Share this free little gem with someone who loves Puerto Rico’s west coast as much as you do.

Because the more people who know what’s happening in Rincón, Aguada, Aguadilla, Añasco, Isabela, Cabo Rojo, Mayagüez, and throughout Puerto Rico’s west coast, the stronger our community will be.

Invite them to subscribe and receive our 21st-century letters every Monday.

We’ll keep doing the homework so all you have to do is open your inbox and discover all the good things happening around you.

*As always, a special thanks to Pamela Iza for her inspiration, logo design input, and her unwavering support.