SAN JUAN, P.R. — Michelle García Mercado stepped off the airplane from Orlando, and her body, finally, felt at ease. She was in Puerto Rico. She was home.

"I feel at peace," she said. "I feel happy for the first time in months."

She came back to the island primarily to attend one of the 30 concerts that the global superstar Bad Bunny is performing in San Juan this summer.

Erika P. Rodríguez for NPR / NPR / NPR

Erika P. Rodríguez for NPR /

But García Mercado's long weekend visit turned into a scheduling frenzy, as the 29-year-old maneuvered to fill every open moment with family, friends, and visits to her favorite hangout spots. She wanted to soak in the people and places her heart has ached for in the three years since she reluctantly moved away.

García Mercado is just one of so

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