‘Puerto Rico: The Sweetest Serenade’ – The Legacy Collection

‘Puerto Rico: The Sweetest Serenade’, 2026

Rawan Ita-Diaz of Project TheraPaint

Watercolor on Paper –  10″ x 13″
Framed, Black Metal, Tru Vue Conservation Clear Glass
Certificate of Authenticity Included

It’s 2020 and I’m getting married. I could see my teenage self so clearly as she’s excited for this special day and also thrilled to reconnect with Spain 15 years later; experiencing it with my soon-to-be husband as our honeymoon destination and fulfilling that promise I had made to myself so long ago.

But as we were preparing to start our new lives together, the world was shutting down. We saw weddings all over the world being postponed or cancelled.

We had spent months planning what felt like the perfect Detroit wedding, a ceremony in a beautiful historic church on Woodward Avenue followed by a reception at The Casino on Belle Isle. Our love for Detroit, history, architecture, and of course each other, was woven into every detail.

That all had to change.

As restrictions tightened, we realized we had to either postpone our wedding or move it up. We knew one thing for certain, we weren’t going to let a pandemic delay the start of our life together. So, we moved up our wedding date at the last minute and had two months to plan an entirely new event.

Following COVID guidelines meant making difficult decisions. We had to uninvite friends and family members we had hoped would celebrate with us. We had to part with the wedding of my dreams, cancel our historic church ceremony, change our reception venue, and find new vendors. Since indoor venues were no longer an option, and Michigan winters are not known for pleasant outdoor events, we made a last-minute decision that surprised even me.

We got married outdoors on the Detroit Riverwalk, right in front of the iconic lighthouse. I had never dreamed of having an outdoor wedding, but sometimes surprises can be spectacular. It was a gorgeous September day the little details didn’t matter anymore. At that point, so much had already gone wrong with our plans that nothing really bothered me. All I wanted was to walk down any aisle and marry my favorite person.

We were lucky enough to begin our lives together even sooner than planned. And now, whenever we’re walking along the Riverwalk, I can’t help but think back to that day and smile at how perfect it turned out.

As challenging as it was to completely redesign a wedding in just two months, the hardest part for me was losing our honeymoon. We had planned a trip to Puerto Rico and Spain, but those plans disappeared along with so many others in 2020.
So we improvised.

Instead of boarding a plane, we packed up the car and went on a road trip through Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. What began as our backup plan turned into an incredible adventure and the perfect way to begin our marriage.
Then, one year later, we finally made it to Puerto Rico!

That trip meant so much more than a delayed honeymoon. It was an opportunity to experience my husband’s culture, connect with his family roots, and immerse ourselves in his heritage. As someone who has been unable to return to my own homeland because of barriers and ongoing safety concerns, I deeply understand the importance of staying connected to where you come from.

I have always dreamed of one day showing my future children the place where my family began. While that dream may not be possible in the way I imagine, I realized there was another part of their story that I could share. If we couldn’t take them to Iraq, we could take them to Puerto Rico and help them experience the rich culture, history, and traditions that are equally part of who they are.

One of my favorite memories happened the moment we arrived. As soon as I opened the car door, I heard the sweetest serenade. I started looking around for speakers because I was convinced that the resort was playing a nature-inspired soundtrack. The sound was so lively and harmonious it didn’t feel real.

Mateo laughed.
“There are no speakers,” he said. “That’s the coquí.”

I had heard about the coquí, a tiny tree frog and beloved Puerto Rican symbol, but had never heard the coquí. Thousands of them were singing at once. Being welcomed by Puerto Rico’s natural symphony in this way felt so special and it was absolutely worth the wait.

Puerto Rico National Symbol
Animal: The Coquí

Rawan Ita-Diaz is a Detroit-based artist whose paintings reflect the truths of life. A painter with a purpose, she creates art that reveals the good, the bad, and everything in between. Grounded in her Master’s Degree in Architecture & Design from Lawrence Technological University, she approaches her work with both structure and empathy, using her art to tell the stories of joy, sorrow, pride, and grief that we all carry.

Rawan entered the role of artist and advocate after a traumatic accident changed her life. In 2017, she was struck by an SUV while walking to work. Her injuries affected her mobility and introduced her to life with chronic pain. Isolated and hurting, she fell into depression and searched for purpose within new circumstances. It was then that she found therapeutic art.