DR Pros and Cons / Pics: Another Day at the Park

Olive running towards Mike. She's a big girl, but she can sure move.

Jersey running around the playground.

Olive on guard

There are many pros and cons to living in Dominican Republic.

CON: you miss people. Especially now with a baby, I wish my parents could see her more, I wish my sister could know her niece, I wish Laura could know her daughter-in-law (hehe!)

PRO: Mike and I can afford to live the lifestyle that we could never have been able to in the states. This is a big one. Here we have a nanny that helps with the baby and cleans our home. She makes dinners too. We don't pay rent, utilities, or phone bills; that's picked up by the school.

CON: Another con is that unlike New York City, everything is not at your finger tips in Santo Domingo. Now, I could get antibiotics, beer and jugs of water delivered to my door, so that's not what I mean. But I like to walk around, explore, find new places, and that I cannot exactly do here.

PRO: Mike's job is much more relaxed so we could spend a good amount of family time and not have to worry about the rigors of teaching.

CON: Silly things are annoying. The TV Guide Channel says Ellen is playing on Channel 502 and Nate Berkus is on 503. When you turn to 502, Nate Berkus is playing and Ellen is actually on 503. 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 now start here at 10:00 since we are now an hour ahead. I told you, silly.

PRO: Our long weekends here consist of going to the beaches. The biggest decision is will I go to the Cabarete or Las Terrenas? 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, a major con is that there is not much outside space for us that is clean and dog-friendly. You would actually b surprised how many people walk around me or away from me when they see me walking Olive and Jersey. Um, hello? Have you seen my dogs? To Even if they did bite you, which if you know my dogs you know there is a better chance of me biting you, they are missing teeth.

PRO: Because of the shortage of good outdoor space, a huge pro is this field at Mike's school. We love going there with the kids (Jersey, Olive, and baby Rafa). 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 too.