Let me back up a little bit... I have so many wonderful people in my life, one of those is Rafael. Rafael has been there for me for a lot over the past couple years. We have dated on and off for about 2 years now and one thing has always remained intact, our friendship. So after a tearful goodbye at the end of June, Rafael returned to his home country, The Dominican Republic (or the DR). As we stay connected through texting apps and skype, Rafael asked me if I would like to come and visit and meet his family, friends and to see his country. How could I say no to this opportunity?! I LOVE TRAVELING and seeing new places... in case you didn't already know that from my previous blogs... So plans were made and luckily I had a free week between Summer Semester Finals and my departure to Head Teach this Fall in China..
So off I went to the DR. Even though I was only there for a little over a week, I saw and did so many things. I went horseback riding to a waterfall, El Limon; I went to the Haitieses Island and saw a few caves there; I went to the Colonial Zone in Santo Domingo; and last but certainly not least I went to a ton of gorgeous beaches, Juan Dolio Beach, Playa Ricon, Samana, and Las Terrenas.
I love the DR. It is seriously not anything like I imagined it would be and I am so glad that now I can have my own opinion based on my own experiences there and not just on what others have told me.
It's a beautiful country. I feel as though the DR is more European looking in its buildings and what not but also has a majority of the American amenities that weren't available to me when I lived in the Ukraine, which is awesome. ;) The DR has many different sides... From the traffic filled city to the quiet quaint villages to the beautiful, perfect beaches. The Dominican Republic has so much to offer and so many different things to see.
It's a beautiful country. I feel as though the DR is more European looking in its buildings and what not but also has a majority of the American amenities that weren't available to me when I lived in the Ukraine, which is awesome. ;) The DR has many different sides... From the traffic filled city to the quiet quaint villages to the beautiful, perfect beaches. The Dominican Republic has so much to offer and so many different things to see.
The Capital, Santo Domingo, is truly a gorgeous city. It's way different than NYC but still has many different aspects that make it beautiful. Beautiful buildings. Beautiful Areas. As well as poor areas and neighborhoods. Rafael lives in the center of the city so we were close to lots of things. The Malls were awesome and pretty pricey with a lot of European stores. The Colonial Zone was one of my favorite parts, with different types of clubs and full of incredible history. History has always been my favorite subject and one of the reasons I love traveling so much is because I get to see all the amazing places where significant historical events took place or where famous people use to live. In the Colonial Zone, I got to see Christopher Columbus' House! Loved it!
Besides the Capital, the DR, seeing as it is an island, obviously has gorgeous beaches. I went to a ton of different beaches, every beach took my breath away! The sand was soft and warm and the ocean was warm but refreshing as well! The warm water was the best part.. The past beaches I've been too have all been freezing. Because the water was warm, yet refreshing I could enjoy swimming and playing in the water much more than I have in the past! Some of the villages I went to, to go some of these beaches, were very small and Rafael told me the saddest part is that a lot of those places don't offer the best education and so it never really gives the kids an opportunity to get out of that living situation. That really made me appreciate the education that I have been given and the schools that I went to.. I didn't always enjoy going to school and definitely did not appreciate my education, but now more than ever I am grateful for what I received and all the opportunities that have been offered to me.
The Dominican Republic is full of wonderful people who are so nice and caring. Rafael's family treated me like a princess and I felt really welcome into their homes and hearts. They fed me like a Queen.... Seriously... Every meal was the best meal of my life. I think I gained at least 20 pounds... And I was only there for 11 days! Rafael's friends also welcomed me with open arms and with lots of delicious food. Not to mention the random people who would run out the car with an umbrella to make sure I didn't get soaked when it was raining. ;) Royal Treatment? I think yes. ;) Even though I don't speak Spanish and couldn't talk with some of Rafael's friends and family we would all try to communicate and had really nice conversations, even if Rafael was doing a lot of the translating. And I was really grateful for his friend and family that did speak English really well! I really want to learn a second language and want my future children to be bilingual. Looking back on my life I have met so many wonderful people and have such great friends because they took the time to become bilingual and learned English so we were able to communicate and connect. I love it and I want to be able to do that.. Who knows who I am waiting to meet and all I have to do is learn a new language. 
So beautiful! What fun and special memories!
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