Enjoying The DR

This past week, thanks to the support of one of my angel friends who watched the kids for us, Doc and I were able to get away for a little "honeymoon". This summer we celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, but Doc will be knee-deep in rotations, without so much as 40 straight hours off work by then.

So since he had a break between his last class and graduation this coming Saturday (!), we took advantage of the super-awesome deals I get through my job, and, using money Doc won for a paper he wrote, spent 5 days at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. It Was Heaven!

I've already documented the trip in my journal, but since ya'll won't be reading that, there were a few things I thought I'd share here.

First off, I believe marriages would start off better if all newlyweds could have a get-away like the one we just had. I wish we'd had something like it 20 years ago...what a way to begin your life together! We're of the (increasingly rare, old-fashioned) mindset that you wait till you're married to live like you're married, if you follow my meaning, so it really was a big change for both of us. Knowing what I know now, I'm going to strongly encourage my kids to make sure they plan a real honeymoon when they marry...I'm a believer!

Anyway, with no domestic responsibilities to worry about, we spent hours together, just hanging out at the pool, in the ocean, taking moonlight walks along sand so soft it was almost like talcum powder. We ate when we felt like it, slept when we wanted to, went boogie boarding, snorkeling, or sailing on the catamaran, stayed up late, star-gazed, read books, enjoyed afternoon "siesta's", and had lots and lots of good talks. It was a great re-connect and re-discover each other week, and I'm so grateful for the chance to experience that with Doc.

The resort we stayed at had a few surprises. First, it really was ALL inclusive! You could literally eat and drink 24-hours a day, as much as you liked. Having food available whenever you wanted...with no dishes or prep or cleaning up? Wow! And no worrying about carrying cash around for tips...they were already included. Nice.

We were also surprised at how very international the resort was. For the first time in my life, I felt like a minority as a U.S. tourist. People were speaking every language under the sun. Lots of guests from Russia, Europe, South America, Africa. Neither of us anticipated that we would be the only Americans we'd cross paths with there. Even after they found out we spoke English, they didn't necessarily guess "USA" for our country. It was crazy. And Awesome!

Being such an international destination, there were different standards of...ahem...swimwear. Suffice to say, my kids would have been somewhat horrified by a number of them, and I confess I never did quite get used to that part. But everyone was friendly, and it was a perfect week. The weather, the water temp, the landscaping and The Beach (beyond amazing!!!)...simply couldn't have been improved upon.

One weird thing: there was almost NO critter life there! Save for fish in the sea, I think I saw 4 birds and one frog in terms of wildlife. No bugs, geckos, lizards, roaches, etc. It was strange to be on an island not teeming with crawlies and creepers. Not that I minded, mind you (though I did wonder if they've just poisoned the jeepers out of the area. Ewww!)

When our time in paradise was over, we weren't too sad because we had an overnight stay in Manhattan. We met my aunt and uncle whom I adore for a lovely dinner and too-quick visit, after which they left for their home in the country while we stayed in their amazing apartment in the city. It really has to be seen to be believed. (Neighbors include Paul Simon and Lorne Michaels. Yeah.)

We arrived home to happy kids who were glad to see us, but not homesick or pining away at all...which I'm SO thankful for! How lucky to have a friend watch them that they feel completely at ease with.

Grateful for:
1) Shelah
2) D&K
3) The chance to enjoy the DR (pun intended)
4) The fact that this is my last week eVAH as the wife of a full-time, unemployed student.