There are many pros and cons to living in Dominican Republic. Here are the ones I’ve come up with so far:
CON: you miss people like crazy. Especially now with a baby, I wish my parents could see her more, I wish my sister could know her niece, I wish BF could know her daughter-in-law (hehe!)
PRO: Though I hate missing the actual people sometimes I can’t help but feel relieved that I don’t have to go to all of the events that we get invited to like we did back home. Maybe missing things isn’t always a bad thing.
CON: I really miss Target.
PRO: Husband and I can afford to live the lifestyle that we could never have been able to in the States. Here we have a nanny that helps with the baby and cleans our home. She makes dinners on occasion too. Our rent, utilities, and phone bills are paid by the school as a benefit of living abroad.
CON: Unlike New York City, everything is not at your finger tips in Santo Domingo. I could get antibiotics, beer and jugs of water delivered to my door, so that’s awesome but I like to walk around, explore, find new places, and I’m not quite confident enough yet to do that here.
PRO: Mike’s job is much more relaxed. The teachers are still outstanding but they are trusted to do a good job… and they do. This allows us to spend a serious amount of family time.
CON: Silly things are annoying. The TV Guide Channel says Ellen is playing on Channel 502 and Nate Berkus is on 503 but when I turn to 502, Nate Berkus is playing and you could guess where Ellen actually is, right? Similarly, with Daylight Savings, all the shows here are pushed back. So tonight, instead of Grey’s Anatomy starting at 9:00 like it will in the states, it will start here at 10:00. And let’s be real, I’ll be asleep by 8:00.
PRO: Our long weekends here consist of going to the beaches. The biggest decision are Will I stay at a villa or resort? Will I stay for two nights or three?
CON: It is always hot.
PRO: It is always hot.
CON: Because we are in a city, there is not much outside space for us that is clean and dog-friendly. I’m assuming this is because it isn’t really a dog-friendly culture. You would be surprised how many people walk around me or put their backs against a wall to let me pass when they see me walking Olive and Jersey, afraid that my toothless poodles are going to charge at them.
PRO: Because of the shortage of good outdoor space, a huge pro is the field and playground at Mike’s school. The dogs might love it more than we do.
All in all, living abroad, like everything in life, has its ups and downs, its good and bad. Being that this is my first experience abroad, there is even more of an adjustment period. I’ve never been away from home this long. I’ve been spoiled by living in the States. But I could certainly be spoiled here. Rent free. Nanny and maid. Beach weekends. Christmas celebration starts in October. Yeah. I could get used to this.
