Dominican Republic

She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future — Proverbs 31: 25. With hearing everything that was going on in the news about tourists dying in the Dominican Republic, I admit I had fear going into this trip. My parents were even on the fence about letting me go. Personally, I would've been fine with staying behind, if that was God’s plan for me. I was fortunate enough to go and have an amazing time! With a lot of praying and using common sense, I was able to enjoy my time there and stay safe. I’m so happy I had the opportunity to share an amazing Senior Week vacation with my close friend, Destiny!

Each day we went on numerous excursions through ATA excursions. The first day was a little bumpy. We got on a bus and about 2 hours into the drive, the bus broke down. We stopped at a car shop for another hour for them to fix it. We got back on and with in 30 minutes, another part of the bus broke off and we had to wait to get another bus. The actual excursion part was amazing though! We swam through a series of waterfalls and jumped into them. The water was really refreshing and it really gave me an adrenaline rush.

If the video works (it’s my first time uploading one and it seems a little complex), it shows Destiny sliding down a natural waterslide. Damajaqua Cascades in Puerto Plata was so pretty and I really enjoyed my experience. Because of the bus incident, we ran out of time. It really stinks that I missed an opportunity to go la Playa Confresi this day.

The next day, we went on a buggie ride and then parasailing. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite excursion, but it was definitely a fun experience. Our buggie broke down every 3 minutes, and it didn't help that I was covered in mud. I guess, I knew in advance I was going to get dirty, but I still hated the feeling of it. The parasailing was super cool. I had my GoPro with me and was able to capture some really cool photos. The water was so blue and warm and there were palm trees everywhere. The 10 minutes of beauty really lifted my spirits.

The third day, we met an amazing couple from Venezuela while zip lining. It was a breathtaking experience to feel the wind flowing around me as I traveled over top fields of palm trees. The employees at the company were incredibly nice and even picked mangos from the trees for us! I had mango in my teeth for the rest of the day, but it was worth it because the mangos were so juicy and delicious. After zip lining, we went to a beach called las Terrenas. This was a really secluded beach; the water was warm and the brightest blue for ocean water I’ve ever seen. We met a lady there from California, who decided to quit her job and move to the DR to study Spanish and travel. She really inspired me to simply be motivated, but then actually act on that motivation.

The last day of excursions, we took a catamaran to La Isla Saona. The catamaran ride was an interesting experience. One of the workers pulled me over to dance to one of the songs, and I admit that was not my favorite part of the day. Although, Destiny said I wasn't that bad of a dancer for it only have been my first time dancing the Merengue. After, we went to the net portion of the boat to soak in some sun. When we arrived at the island, we were met with palm trees, free lounge chairs, and drink huts lining the beach. This was my favorite picture taking location, and it seemed like it was for everyone else on the beach. There were even numerous paid photographers to take pictures of tourists. This excursion was definitely my favorite one of the week and I’m happy I could end the trip with this one.