Eleven months ago now hubs and I were beaching, shopping, temple-ing, and wandering all over the incredible country of Thailand.  The weather was phenomenal, the people were welcoming, and it was the ideal place to find yourself; to heal your spirit.  Overall the experience was beyond comparison.

Also beyond comparison was the travel time and distance… apparently getting to the other side of the world isn’t quite as easy as it sounds. This was the main reason for our change of plans.  This year’s flights included three layovers of 7, 8, and 20 hours, each way.  In addition to this, the price had increased drastically.  And the final nail in the coffin was the realization that yes, we would in fact like to try somewhere new.

If you know me, you know how much I dislike choosing where to go for dinner or which movie to watch, not to mention making any big decisions that may have the slightest impact on my life.  Let’s just say that I can be quite indecisive at the best of times.  To plan travel is beyond fun, but also stressful. So when the idea of going somewhere other than Asia for our holidays came up, I was slightly overwhelmed.

Now, it’s not that there aren’t other places I want to travel to, because that list is nearly endless.  And as much as I fell in love with Thailand, I wasn’t opposed to not returning this year (there will be other chances to go back).  It’s just that once the ‘for-sure’ plan was out the window, there was so much more to consider, to plan, and to decide on.

So what now?

Europe?  This has always been at the top of my list – specifically Italy and Greece.  But, as we travel in December & January, the weather in Europe may not be ideal.  Plus the cost of staying in Europe for 4-6 weeks is immense, especially when staying in hostels is not for us (more specifically, not for hubs).  So, we figure this would be a trip best left for summer.

Okay, so then maybe Australia or New Zealand?  Nope – just as brutal a flight.

Africa?  Umm the current health risks make this option a solid ‘no’ for the time being.

So, after studying our lovely little globe looking for good weather, affordable extended stays, AND less than 4-days’ travel time, we landed in the Caribbean.  Great!  Except this still means so many options.

Mexico is the first obvious option.  Personally, I have never had a strong desire to spend much time in Mexico.  Maybe because it’s so popular, I feel it’s cliche.  Though if you want to try to change my mind, go for it!  Aside from the mecca of Canadian all-inclusive vacationers, there are many island options including Cuba, Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks & Caicos, and so on.  Letting flight and hotel availability guide the way, the final decision was made.  Dominican Republic it is.

Now, as with Mexico, the DR was never at the top of my travel bucket list.  I feel it is a very common choice for all-inclusive beach-goers who don’t care too much about exploring the real culture of a new place.  But after looking deeper into it, I could clearly see that there IS a lot of culture and history to discover, if you wanted to.  So I booked it, splitting our time between the capital city of Santo Domingo and the beach haven of Punta Cana, so that we can both get the most out of our time away.  I’m so excited to see a new place and meet new people, and most of all to get out of here during the annual apocalypse we call winter.  Both of these places are new to me, so if you have any suggestions on places we have to see, please let me know!  I look forward to sharing my travel tales in the new year!!