Duke Time Off Photo Winner Captures Flavor and Family in Puerto Rico

Carlos Motta’s snapshot highlights rest, good food and time with loved ones

A man and woman stand in front of a marina
Carlos Motta, a Patient Transporter at Duke University Health System, submitted this photo from his visit to Puerto Rico to highlight his #DukeTimeOff.

In the seven years since he moved to Durham, Carlos Motta has been to Red Lobster once. He managed to finish his order of lobster, but his wife, Lydia, took hers home so she could add her own favorite seasonings.

It was a lesson learned. Motta, a Patient Transporter at Duke University Health System, now waits to savor seafood during visits to see his family in Puerto Rico.

And when he traveled to Fajardo on the eastern edge of the island recently, he and Lydia enjoyed red snapper and lobster soup at El Yate, pausing to snap a photo in front of Dos Marinas. He can still recall in detail the deliciousness of the meal.

“It’s so fresh,” Motta said. “Everything’s so fresh.”

Motta shared a post-meal picture posing with his wife as part of the Duke Time Off photo campaign that illustrates the value of using Duke’s paid time off benefit for well-being. The photo was selected as the second winner of Working@Duke’s annual summer-long campaign.

A man and woman stand in front of a marina
Carlos Motta and his wife, Lydia, treated themselves to a special seafood meal while taking #DukeTimeOff in Puerto Rico. Photo courtesy of Carlos Motta

For his photo, Motta will receive a 24-can cooler, courtesy of Duke University Stores.

Motta said the meal was a highlight of his three weeks in Puerto Rico, where he also had to work on repairs to his home there while visiting his brother and caring for his elderly dog. But he also found time to visit the beach – and snag some more fresh seafood at Puerto Rico’s unique beachside kiosks.

“We always go to the beach there, the beaches are beautiful,” Motta said. “And when we go there, we have to get something to eat.”

One Duke-themed prize, courtesy of Duke University Stores, will be given away roughly once every two weeks throughout the summer.

All eligible pictures taken and shared over the course of the campaign – from May 22, 2025, through Aug. 4, 2025 – will be in the running for the following grand prizes, courtesy of the Duke entities:

  • A “Classic Package for Two” ($425 value) at the Washington Duke Inn. The package includes a king or double/double room for one night and full breakfast for two in the Vista Room or room service. Sunday brunch is not eligible.
  • A lemur tour for two at the Duke Lemur Center.
  • Tickets to Duke Arts Presents performances.

The deadline for photo submissions is 5 p.m., Aug. 4. For additional Duke Time Off guidelines, including how to share your photo on social media or through our easy form, check out this story.

Send story ideas, shout-outs and photographs through our story idea form or write working@duke.edu.

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