Transitioning from tourist to resident

I've only been in the Dominican Republic one day and there is already so much to blog about! Because I'm only here a few days to reunite with my hubby while he's been training, I'm still in tourist mode.  However at the same time, I am apartment hunting and asking the locals about things to know so I'm trying to prepare myself for residency.  Here are just a few updates on what I've experienced so far.

Culture shock:

• The driving is crazy, I mean my husband told me it would be but I have never seen so many red lights and stop signs run as well as so much cutting people off and honking!
• Poverty: again I knew this would be here but there are people selling things and asking for money everywhere!  I guess the poverty is just manifested in a way I did not prepare for. One neat part of the selling is all of the people who carry large baskets of good on their heads!
• Chicken and stray dogs...that's self explanatory, there are chickens and stray dogs roaming town.
• Language, I can get by in Spanish one on one with people especially if they talk slow for me.  I practiced with hotel concierge, Jesus' family and a lady on the plane.  However when I listen to others have conversations around me, it is way too hard to even pick up the gist of it sometimes!
• Public transportation: Similar to buses there are cars that will stop and pick you up anywhere and it's a flat rate to go anywhere on their route.  The culture shock is how many people they cram into these cars.  I watched two woman get out of the front seat and that was nothin'!  
• Car seats are not standard or typical.  It has been quite the challenge fitting the car seat or stroller wherever we go but when we get out own car we will be able to squash this dilemma.

Highlights:

• The food!  I've already had some good Dominican food in the states cooked by Jesus's family so I didn't expect anything less and I assure you I have not been let down.  Also the fresh fruit and freshly squeezed juices and shakes are delicious!

• Hospitality: Nothing like crossing the street with your little family and baby in stroller when a woman walks out to the middle of the road amidst the crazy drivers to stop traffic for ya!
• Apartment hunting: It was great to go with the locals to hear about the different neighborhoods and we already found an apartment we love in one of Santiago's safer and prime areas!  Cross your fingers we get it! (The apartment is across the street from our hotel which is across the street from church.  I know that church is where I'll find an instant community so to be walking distance would be a nice bonus.)

(Also a Friday's next to the hotel)

• The weather and climate; sunny skies and mid 70's can't be beat, not to mention there are mountains!

 

• Swimming!  We are hoping to get an apartment with a pool so we can take Joaquin swimming like we did today at the hotel, he loved it!

How I'm feeling:

• Scared:
• Honestly it feels like a whole different world and I'm afraid I won't make friends because of my language barrier. 
• I'm afraid to drive and wonder what Joaquin and I will do all day while Jesus is at work. 
• I'm afraid I will look like a tourist forever and get ripped off when I go shopping and am still getting used to the money conversion. 
• I'm afraid to learn my way around a whole new place and afraid I'll wander to the unsafe areas.  
• I'm afraid I'll get too homesick!
• I'm afraid I won't find good medical care as I'm having issues I wrote about in a previous post and also intend to have another child while we are possibly here two or three years.

• Excited: 
• I'm excited to go out of my comfort zone and conquer this adventure...kind of! 
• I'm excited to find a nice apartment where we can all swim.  
• I'm excited to go to the beach on the weekends which I may do tomorrow!  
• I'm excited to get better at my Spanish.  I already survived talking to two people at the hotel without even speaking English or telling them I didn't know enough Spanish at first.  I just pretended like I knew and apparently I knew enough! 
• I'm excited for Joaquin to learn some Spanish as he learns to talk.  
• I'm excited to grow closer as a family because I don't know what can pull us together more than moving to a third world country together.  
• I'm excited for Jesus to love his job. 
• I'm excited to get some new tropical fashion.
• I'm excited to make friends as scared as I am! I talked with a girl from here at the airport who was my age and she's exactly the kind of person I plan to meet! She had a two year old son, was traveling alone like myself, helped me carry my car seat and told me all the things I'd love about Santiago; she gave me extra hope!

                                  

                  Joaquin and his aunt Lala!  Having family here helps with the meeting people part.