The United States of an African

Originally posted March 2017

A few weeks ago, my mother came up to freezing Michigan to spend some time with me. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to take her on one of the vacations I had promised. Not being used to constant below freezing temperatures, I also needed a hot break. Thankfully, living in America provides easy access to the beautiful Caribbean islands. I’ve visited a few of the English speaking islands. But this time around, I wanted something different.

 I didn’t want the typical American tourist beach resort get away. I wanted to indulge myself into a foreign culture. So I booked a hotel in Ciudad Colonial, the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas. This quaint historical neighborhood in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is the site of many “oldest” landmarks. 

The historical landmarks, although beautiful, weren’t the most intriguing parts of the city. The life of the city struck a chord with me. The weather was perfect! The people were incredibly welcoming from the second I walked off the aircraft. My mum and I were mistaken for locals on multiple occasions. Of course when they realized we struggled with our Spanish, they were all the more merrier with us. We ate and drank at local hot spots. I was even invited to a night out but being a foreign young woman I decided to stay in with my mama.

We concluded our vacation at a beach resort in Playa Juan Dolio. It was a nice quiet getaway from the city. The perfect way to end our trip before returning to the tundra that is Detroit in February.