Adventure Mode vs. Vacation Mode

On December 23, 2024, my brother texted me that he and his wife Chelsey "Just did a little last minute Christmas shoppin": plane tickets to the DR. The April dates they picked fell over my nephew Reed's (age 8) spring break, which coincided with Holy Week. 

It wasn't their first time in-country; Kyle & Chelsey sacrificed a day at their adults only resort to meet me in the capital in January 2021, and my mom's side of the family held a June 2022 family reunion of sorts in Punta Cana. It was, however, their first time in Santiago to truly experience my expat life and put faces to many of the names I drop regularly on Marco Polo. I've learned a few things since my parents and sister visited five months after I moved here; our week was a healthy balance of adventure mode vs. vacation mode. 

Stereotypical airport arrival photo I make all short-term volunteers take. Santiago is the Ciudad Corazón (Heartland City).

We spent our first two nights at an Airbnb in Puerto Plata, a beach town on the north coast. Friday, their first full day, we elected to see some city sights. 

Or tried to, anyway. It was too foggy to see anything from atop Pico Isabel de Torres. 

Paseo de Doña Blanca, aka "Pink Street." 

We stopped at the equally touristy "Umbrella Street" on our way to the town's main square. Getting to go up in the iconic circular building in the center was a first for me.

We skipped dessert at our lunch spot in favor of a FREE chocolate factory tour and washed that down with plenty of Macorix rum. 

Saturday morning afforded just enough sunshine to fry all of us in ~4 hours of beach time. 

We waited for an afternoon rainstorm to let up a bit before driving back to Santiago yet were still greeted with this on the outskirts of the city.

Celebrating Kyle & Chelsey's anniversary with Argentinian food...after everyone showered and I insisted on vacuuming sand out of my car.

Reed and Freddy, 8 years apart. My 💓.

Sunday worship at each of the DR congregations, including mine, featured an around-the-block Palm Sunday processional. 

We hit the store for some necessities that afternoon. But first: the scavenger hunt I've pulled out for several volunteer groups by now.

No trip to Santiago with me as tour guide is complete without a visit - or several - to the botanical garden.

The brand new orchid garden was open; scoping it out was another first for me.

Following a ride on Santiago's cable car system, we scoped out the [closed] Monument downtown and then decided to wander one of my favorite streets in all of Santiago, muralized from top to bottom. When we learned a mural tour happened to be coming by within the hour, we grabbed some drinks and snacks to kill time. I knew what was coming would be worth the wait, and it did not disappoint; Reed got to try his hand at a Dominican Carnaval tradition.

"Lunes de jazz," a low-key, live jazz concert that takes place weekly at a bar downtown.

Maundy Thursday boat ride across the lake formed by the Presa de Taveras.

Kyle picking out his whole fried fish lunch from the restaurant's multiple chest freezers

Maundy Thursday worship at Iglesia Luterana de Pueblo Nuevo. Then: the only legit Mexican food I've found in Santiago thus far.

After a relaxed final morning featuring build-your-own omelets for breakfast, we checked out one last place I reference often: "Palmar" (Lutheran school, church, seminary, and group home) and took one last family pic from the patio of the dormitory where single seminary students live.

Not pictured: LOTS of cards and games (Canadian Salad, Dealer's Choice, Karma, Phase 10, President, Pass the Trash, Five Second Rule, and even Candyland)! On the way to the airport, Reed waffled back and forth between wanting to stay and wanting to go home - the sign of a good vacation, right? I'm almost certain these three will be back...unless they decide to meet me in one of the many other destinations I frequent next time ;)

Until next time, blessings in Christ!