My Last Blog: A Year Gone By

Before going into this year, I knew that it would be my last. My goal of the year was ending well. Unfortunately, or fortunately, God answered my prayer a little too well and this year was the best year yet. So, I want to recap my favorite parts of this final "senior" year.

1. My Roommates

Going into this year, I did not know what to expect of my living situation. I was told I would be living with two "newbies" to the country, but did not have a lot of other information on them. I hoped we would get along, might even become friends, but I never could have predicted that at the end of the year, they would have become as close as sisters. Lightning struck twice with these two. In our sisterhood, I was the legs, leading the way, up for almost any adventure, Avery was the head/brains of the operations, making sure we did things right, and also directionally savvy and Haley was all heart, doing everything with so much zest and energy. 

I am so thankful for both of them, for not only the BIG ADVENTURES, we had, but also the quiet moments in the house where we just supported each other and were there no matter what. I am thankful for taco Tuesday nights that became taco whenever nights. I am thankful for movie nights and Property Brothers. I am thankful for dance routines and the pranks (mostly I was the instigator). I am thankful for FUDGE that Avery can skillfully craft and I am thankful that I found  women like me.  ;) 

2. School Life

This was my second year teaching first grade. Our students were super energetic, but we loved them.  I had the best assistant anyone could ask for in Miss Leslie. We were a great team and she loved playing with the students just as much as I did. We had dance parties with the students during Valentine's Day and loved learning how to spin beyblades and how to play their version of tag at recess. Being a teacher is a hard job, but these 15 little ones made this year special. When you love your job, you never work a day in your life.







3. Visitors

I was so lucky this year to have people visit me. In March, Bryant and Courtney came to visit me for a long weekend. It was Bryant's first time out of the country. I was humbled by the amount of trust and faith they had in me to show them the sights of the Dominican Republic without knowing the language well or having Dominican pesos. I got to show them some of my favorite beaches, waterfalls and food. It is so much fun when a piece of home comes and visits you, so I appreciate the time and trust it took to come and see me.

In April, Angela came all the way from Spain. I hadn't seen her since before I left for the  Dominican Republic, so it was a special treat to see her. While, I taught she explored the city of Santo Domingo and figured out the bus system and subway system better than I have ever done. She is fearless.

We got to explore Santo Domingo together and then spend spring break together. We went to Las Terrenas, my favorite beach location. Then we went  to Jarabacoa, my favorite city. In Jarabacoa, we had the opportunity to go canyoning, ride motos and visit waterfalls.


Finally, at the end of the year, my parents came to visit me and help me pack up.  It was an emotional couple of days for me, and I appreciated that they were there. I love this picture on the right, it is of me and my mom walking the beach in Punta Cana for our last day there. I could not have done this journey; started it nor completed it without their constant prayers and support. I know my parents sacrificed a lot having me so far from home, but they never once asked me to come home early. They let me do this journey on my own time schedule and were there for the midnight phone calls, tax questions and prayer requests. This journey ended the way it started. 4 years ago, they drove scared little me to the airport for my first trip to the Dominican Republic, now they walked me to the airport to bring me home.




4. Firsts

Even after being here for 3 years prior, I had many firsts this years.

In November, we went to Bahia de Las Aguilas for the first time. We went with Melissa, and Avery's brother Derek. Bahia de Las Aguilas was not as wonderful as I had hoped, but I loved the company and we even discovered some hidden waterfalls that made the trip worth it.

In March, Melissa found a whale watching excursion for us to go on. I had never been on whale watching trip, and after a very bouncy speedboat ride over the waves, we saw many many whales. It was so fun to see them and even more to hear Kim scream about how excited she was :D

In April, Angela convinced Sondra and I to try surfing for the first time. We decided to opt out of lessons and just follow what Angela was doing. We never got up, but did ride on our bellies on several waves. What I didn't know was that it is hard to get off the waves once you are on them, so there were several moments of going full speed on my belly with the sand quickly approaching. Had to learn to bail ship fast.

In May, we tried an adventure called Cola de Pato. It ended up being canyoning on steriods. I loved it, but it definitely pumped the adrenaline. It had recently rained so everything was slippery and there were several parts where we had to "cliff jump." I'm so proud of these adventure buddies though who were troopers through everything.
In May, we also went horseback riding. Now it may not have been my first time ever going horseback riding, but it was the first time over the age of seven. I was very nervous, but luckily our horses knew what they were doing and were not spooked easily. Kim's horse might have wandered off the most and Melissa's horse might have refused to give up the lead without a hard gallop, but it was still super fun, even as our horses did their best to break their galloping personal records when we hit the beach.



In June, I went snorkeling for the first time with my dad. I had never been snorkeling before, but after going, I don't know why I haven't gone sooner. It was so fun. The guide gave us bread in the water to feed the fish that swam by. Also, he would put star fish and sea urchins in our hands to look at under the water. At one point, there were sunken speedboats and benches that we could swim down and sit in sort of like an underwater amusement park.





5. Lasts
This year was also a year of lasts, my last time in specific cities, my last day of school...my last day living with these tremendous girls and traveling with them on a daily basis. It is the last page of this last chapter. This is my last blog for the Dominican Republic.  Now it is time for a new chapter, a turning of the page. There have been tears and there will be more as I say goodbye to this beautiful country and these beautiful people, but I know God has a plan that is too wonderful for me to even comprehend.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me either in person or in spirit. I appreciate all of the support. It has been quite a journey. To end this final blog, I leave you with this blessing wherever you are and wherever you may go


[May]the Lord bless you and keep you...[May] the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. [May] the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.-Numbers 6:24-26

The End of a(nother) Beautiful Chapter

I have been writing this blog in my head for the past year. I have almost written it several times, but then something has always held me back. Now, I believe it is finally time to be shared. My chapter in the Dominican Republic is coming to a close. I thought it would be best to end this blog the way I started: with an end to a beautiful chapter.

Over the past 4 years, God has changed my life in so many ways. I am different because of my time here. It is so exciting and amazing for me to look back over the past years and see how through this wonderful, tremendous, and sometimes scary experience God has enriched my life in so many ways. The Dominican Republic has changed me. I can see that through my blogs and through my journals. I am more patient, more independent, more self-assured and more understanding of differences because of this experience and I don't believe I would have been able to build those skills anywhere else. I am floored that God "cared enough" about me to web these different experiences together so that I could grow as a person.

Now, after 4 years, I have come to the realization that the gong beats again. It is time for me to go back home, find permanence and invest in a community. I am so excited, but also terrified as you can rightly imagine. I know deep down to my core that this is the right move, but again, it is hard to say goodbye. My prayer this whole year has been ending well; finishing my time here without regrets. I have been granted my wish "bittersweetly" as this year the stars have aligned and  I have had the best students, the best assistant, the best teaching partner and the very best roommates anyone could ask for. It will be hard to say goodbye to some of the best people this side of heaven.

Surprisingly, I have felt a lot of peace about looking for a job in Michigan. I prayed that God would open doors and slam them shut as he saw fit and I would be solely at his mercy. Luckily (or unluckily) I have a tendency to talk too much during interviews and put my proverbial foot in my mouth, so I knew that if I was offered a job it would most likely be on God's grace alone. 

Many schools hire teachers before June and I knew that to give it my best shot I would need to interview in person vs. via Skype. After looking at my school calendar for a long weekend, I discovered that my birthday, my niece's birthday as well as Dominican labor day all fell within the same weekend, so it was the perfect time to book a trip home. I had planned a school visit with one school and the day I was traveling, I received an email from another school that they wanted me to come in to teach a lesson. So, while juggling birthdays, buying a bridesmaid's dress, traveling and completing my master's assignments, I planned a lesson for the interview. 

I was applying for a third grade position, but it turned out that the principal of the K-2 building for the same district was on the interview committee and decided that I was a good candidate for his school. Without an interview for the position or even a one-on-one discussion, he extended me a job offer to teach 2nd grade at his school. (I would like to thank my references for having my back on this one as I know that he reached out to them and they knew about the job offer before I did.)

I am excited to announce that after talking with my sister, my jubilant parents and my friends, I have decided to accept the 2nd grade position in Williamston Michigan and will be moving there come July. I am so excited for this next step and want to thank all of you for your prayers. I am so very humbled. Please continue to pray that God would use my life and where I will be in Williamston for His kingdom and His glory. Amen. 

Spring Break 2019

Spring break was a bit later than it has been in past years, but it was packed full of adventures. Angela,  came all the way from Madrid to join the adventure in the Dominican Republic. It was so nice to see her after so many years. The last time I saw her was before I moved to the Dominican Republic, so approximately four years ago, but seeing her again, we picked up as if it were  yesterday. She stayed for 2 weeks, so she became truly Dominican. She conquered public transportation, moto riding and eating the typical dominican fare.

First Stop: Las Terrenas

Las Terrenas  is my favorite little beach town. It is a beautiful beach on the north east coast of the island. The beaches are beautiful, it is touristy enough to be safe, but not overly touristy like Punta Cana. It is where a lot of the French vacation, so Angela was excited to use her French skills and eat at a french cafe/bakery. The American in me loved the app "Komida" which allowed us to order french pastries from the bakery.  right to our door.  For all those who travel in the D.R...."Komida" works for both Las Terrenas and Cabarete.

 So we ended up staying in a gated community where playa bonita was our back yard and there were several restaurants to visit. We even tried our hand at surfing, well Angela surfed while Sondra and I practiced dragging our surfboard through the waves and learned that paddling is hard work. The hardest part for Sondra and I was getting off the wave. We would get on a wave (on our stomachs) and then the wave would head very quickly in the direction of the shore, it was exhilarating but also a little scary as we didn't quite know the correct way to bail. At the end of the day, we were covered with sand, as you can tell by our surfboards.

We also went into the "Pueblo de los Pescadores," which is the little fishing village that is very touristy. It has french boutiques, cafes and a great gelato place. It was a little more crowded than our own playa bonita, but definitely a great day trip. Las Terrenas was incredibly relaxing and it was a great way to start our spring break. After the 3 nights on the beach we headed into the mountains of Jarabacoa to show Angela a different landscape.

Stop #2: Jarabacoa

Jarabacoa is my favorite city in the Dominican Republic. We baptized Angela into the culture by introducing her to the moto conchos or moto taxis....the only way to get around the city. We also went canyoning which I believe is my absolute favorite activity. It  wading through the water and going down natural rock slides, ziplining and finally rappelling down a large waterfall. We also tried the typical Dominican food of 3 golpes which includes mangu, a fried egg, fried cheese and salami. It is delicious and my favorite food here in this country.

We also went to Salto Jimenoa where a part of Jurassic Park was filmed (the introduction where the helicopter flies in) Despite the drought, we were able to swim in the waterfall before making the long trek back up the path.

So Spring break 2019 was a definite success...I'm so glad for being able to share it with friends and looking forward to ending the rest of the year well.

An Expat's (Very Subjective) Ranking of Cities to Visit in the Dominican Republic

Okay, so this is something that I have wanted to do for a while and have decided to finally rank all the cities that I have visited here and great things to do there. Please note this is not a comprehensive list and is solely based on my own personal experiences and so someone else's list would look very different from mine.

La Vega-Dominican Republic
From "Road Trip Dominican Republic"
Retrieved from mikesjournal.com

#15 La Vega- Rounding out the bottom of the list is La Vega. La Vega reminds me of Gary, Indiana. La Vega is a depot for many buses and guaguas, but few people stay in it for long. La Vega has a lot of air pollution and many of the buildings are abandoned and crumbling. The streets are also very small, so it sometimes feel more dangerous driving through La Vega than the capital itself. La Vega is most known for the Carnaval held annually in February where people dress in demonic costumes and parade up and down the streets smacking people with empty animal bladders. So suffice it to say, La Vega is not my favorite city in the Dominican Republic.

Plaza Lama en La Romana
From Listin Diario by I. Vasquez, 2010,
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/

#14 La Romana-  Many people would be shocked to find La Romana so low on my list, but I blame its ranking on my own bad experiences within the city. La Romana has a beautiful resort area called Casa de los Campos where many international golf matches are played and many celebrities perform and/or have houses. This area is super safe and well maintained. Now, I never went to Casa de los Campos, so my experiences are based on the city itself. The city itself is a juxtaposition to Casa de los Campos and the people living outside of the resort are desperately poor. This is the only city that we were warned repeatedly that walking in certain areas was very dangerous and were escorted by the police on several occasions. We were told that La Romana has the most car accidents due to the lethal combination of poverty and population. There are a lot of people and cars on the road, but due to the poverty of the city, they are unable to provide basic traffic necessities such as streetlights or traffic lights. I will say though, we met some amazing people in La Romana who were super helpful and willing to go out of their way to make sure we were safe and secure.

#13 Barahona-

Barahona
From el Caribe by J. Matos, 2018
www.elcaribe.com.do/2018/11/27/

 I have been to Barahona twice. The first time I went I stayed at Casa Bonita Lodge which was amazing. After that first trip, Barahona would have ranked in the top five easily. The lodge was a wonderful combination of forest and ocean and I would highly recommend it. There was an infinity pool, complimentary breakfast and excursions such as ziplining beach trips and bike rides to local waterfalls.

The second time I went to Barahona, I stayed in the city itself and realized similar to La Romana how poor the city is. The south side of the island is the poorest in the country and there were few tourists, so I felt very visible in the city. There were few tourist attractions and like La Romana we were warned to stay close to the hotel and not to to travel after dark.

#12 Bahia de Las Aguilas- I know! I know! People will be shocked to find Bahia  de Las Aguilas so low on my list as many claim it is the most beautiful beach on the island. Maybe, my expectations were too high, but I felt it was kind of a letdown after all the hype. It is known as untouched paradise as the only way to get there is by boat or an all-terrain vehicle. The closest city to Bahia is Barahona which is over 2 hours away.  In order to get to the beach, you basically drive on bumpy rocky roads through a desert and then come out to a beach. It is an unusual beach, but not necessarily beautiful nor worth the five hour drive from the capital. There are prettier beaches in the north and east sides of the island. Also, for being an "untouched paradise" it was pretty crowded with people and there even was a person driving on a moto through the sand.

Santiago
From Destination 360
www.destination360.com
/caribbean/dominican-republic/santiago

#11 Santiago- Now we are beginning to get into the cities that aren't bad per say, they just are not the greatest. Santiago is the second largest city in the Dominican Republic. It isn't a bad city, but there really aren't a lot of tourist attractions in the city besides the monument. There is a lot of traffic and it often seems as busy as the capital, but without many of the attractions that exist in the capital. When I lived in Jarabacoa, Santiago was a great place to go to do your big grocery shopping or watch a movie as it was only 45 minutes away so that definitely was its greatest plus.

Samana
From West Jet
https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/book-trip/
destination-guide/discover/samana

#10- Samana- Samana is not at all a bad beach, it just does not rank as high as other beach cities. Now, to be fair Samana was the first beach I ever went to and it was a looonng bus ride from Jarabacoa, so similar to Bahia de las Aguilas I had high hopes. Also, during the day it rained and so we had to wait out the storm on the bus. Finally, it felt like we were at the beach for an eternity and there were not a lot of restaurants or things to do besides sit by the ocean. Granted, this ranking is based on this one experience, so if I ever went back, it could possibly compete with some of the higher ranked beaches.

Valle de Constanza
From Go Dominican Republic
www.godominicanrepublic.com

#9-Constanza- Now, I actually like Constanza quite a lot. It is a beautiful little mountain town. It is known for its strawberries and flowers and the majority, if not all, of the strawberries on the island are grown in this city. The climate is moderate and it is one of the few places on the island that has ever gotten snow. (I think the only other place is Pico Duarte.) The best way to get to Constanza is by moto from Jarabacoa as the views are spectacular. It is a winding road up in the mountains that overlooks the valley below. I had the opportunity to  paraglide over Constanza and it was so fun to see it laid out like a map. The city of Constanza is very small, so there aren't many restaurants or attractions, but it makes for a great day trip.

Sosua Shops
From Trip Advisor, 2018
Tripadvisor.com

#8-Sosua- Sosua is a beautiful sandy beach, but I love that it also has little beach shops along the way. It is a great place to relax along the shore, but also offers shops and restaurants right along the beach. It is a great beach to visit for a day trip.

Pico Duarte
From yaladominicana by A. Garcia, 2012
yalodominicana.blogspot.com/2012/05/

#7-Manabao- Manabao itself is a little city that if you blink you miss it, but it is the beginning of the route to Pico Duarte which gives it its high ranking. Pico Duarte is the tallest mountain the caribbean and a must see for the adventurous souls. In order to hike Pico Duarte, you take at least 2 guides as well as mules to help carry the food, utensils as well as bags. It is often a 3 day hike though some people do it in 2. At the beginning of the hike, the vegetation is tropical while at the top, the environment resembles  Northern Michigan more than a tropical island. There is a base camp where people often stay the first night as well as the second night. The first night, it is where you end, the second day you summit and come back to camp and the third day often you go back down the mountain. The guides build a fire, and make food. There is an enclosed cabin for the hikers to protect from the elements as well as running water and plumbing which is a great thing.  I do recommend sweaters and blankets as it gets very frigid up there.

#6- Puerto Plata- Puerto Plata as a beach city is not as wonderful as Sosua, but the attractions in the city boost its rating. Puerto Plata is home to the infamous 27 charcos (27 waterfalls) which is one of my all time favorite things to do on the island. 27 waterfalls is where you hike up a path and jump or slide down many different waterfalls. In the picture on the right, you see me sliding down one of the many falls. It was a unique, one of a kind experience. Also, Puerto Plata is home to the teleferico, I don't know the English word, cable car? Anyways, the teleferico which you can see on the right transports passengers up a hill to a national park. In the park are several paths that lead to a lagoon or cave or even various kinds of flowers. Also, Puerto Plata is a beach city, so beach goers cna take a day trip to 27 waterfalls and then the next day visit the beach.

Santo Domingo: cathedral of Santa María la Menor.© hessbeck/iStock.com

#5- Santo Domingo- Santo Domingo has risen  very high in the ranks since I moved here a year and a half ago.Santo Domingo is the capital and the traffic or tapon as they call it is horrendous, but there is so much to do that it is "vale la pena" (worth it) Santo Domingo's main attraction to tourists is the colonial zone. The colonial zone hosts the houses and buildings that were built in Christopher Columbus's era. You can visit the house of Diego Columbus and go into churches that were erected hundreds of years ago.There are also many monuments and forts you can visit. The colonial zone provides live music most nights, ethnic restaurants as well as many tourist shops for authentic Dominican goods.

Besides the colonial zone, there is Tres Ojos which is a famous cave that is a great tourist site. Santo Domingo also has many many authentic Dominican restaurants, cafes as well as attractions for kids such as roller rinks, trampoline parks and a zoo. There are many american restaurants in Santo Domingo as well as malls, shops and movie theaters. It is very easy to travel throughout the city as there are many forms of transportations such as a subway, public cars, public buses, taxis and my personal favorite UBER.

#4- Punta Cana- Punta Cana comes in at number 4. It is a beautiful white sandy beach that is perfect for relaxing. There are many restaurant options as well as hotels where you can walk right out to the beach. Punta Cana has many all inclusive resorts as well as boasts the most excursions in the whole country. You can go parasailing, diving, tubing, sailing, and even cruising from this city. As you walk along the beach you will see many beach weddings. Punta Cana also is a city where you can speak English every where and is almost preferred to Spanish as many of the staff are Haitians who speak better English than Spanish. Punta Cana is very expensive in comparative to the rest of the country and is very touristy and so loses some value in that way. But I definitely recommend it especially in the off season where there are deals on hotels and the beaches are not quite as popular.

Cabarete
© Turismo RD

#3- Cabarete- Cabarete is about a 10 minute drive from Sosua. It is a quaint little resort town which offers a lot of activities similar to Punta Cana, yet isn't as expensive nor as crowded. It is protected by a coral reef so offers calm waters and breezy conditions ideal for surfing as well as kite surfing which it is famous for. There are many restaurants and bars as well as beautiful hotels and resorts that are very economical in price.



#2- Las Terrenas- Las Terrenas is my absolute favorite beach city. I don't know how it works, but the water in Las Terrenas feels like bath water and you can float for hours. The water is completely calm and the bottom is sandy and so easy to walk. There is a long row of restaurants that form the coastline of the ocean, so you can pick whichever restaurant suits you best and watch the sunset over the water while you eat. Las Terrenas also hosts a large French population and there are several French boutiques and French cafes. Las Terrenas has a friendly small town feel and even if you are only there for a couple of days, you feel like you have lived there your whole life.

#1 Jarabacoa- I wish I had a picture to represent all of what Jarabacoa is, but I don't so I won't even try. Jarabacoa is a beautiful mountain village that is known for its ecotourism. Jarabacoa is home to over 7 waterfalls. It is also the only place in the country you can go white water rafting. Rancho Baiguate within Jarabacoa offers many excursions such as white water rafting, rappelling down waterfalls and paragliding. Jarabacoa is also famous for the restaurant Jamaca de Dios which is a restaurant up in the mountains which overlooks the entire city of Jarabacoa. Jarabacoa is known as the city of eternal spring and its temperatures are almost always moderate. Jarabacoa has a small town feel and is a very safe city where  outside doors are often wide open to catch a breeze or a friend stopping by to say hello.

This is definitely not an all inclusive list of cities in the Dominican Republic, but just the cities that I have had a chance to visit in the 3.5 years. If you have your own favorite places, I would love to hear about them.