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Hard Parts of Living in the Dominican Republic

I originally started this blog to share my journey to the Dominican Republic. One of the realest parts of my journey that I have yet to share is the hard parts of living in the Dominican Republic. I have been so hesitant to write this blog because I do not want anyone to twist what I say, think I am negative, or present this country in a bad light. But this is a huge piece in my journey, and a real and raw glimpse into what life here looks like on the daily. 

I have had a lot of crazy things happen that have even left Domincans speechless. 

I’ll share one story, or this blog will get too long. Jeje  When my husband and I moved into our apartment, the water company kept shutting off our water although we were paying each month. Come to find out that our neighbor was stealing our water bill, and so the water company said we had “illegally” been using the water. After a couple of weeks of them shutting it off, we learned how to turn it back on. Until one day we turned it back on, but no water reached our apartment. It took a couple workers in the complex to realize that the water company had stuck a huge chunk of wood in the water tube that took us FOREVER to get out. The security guard in our apartment complex said they had never seen anything like that in all the years they had been here. They said people go years without paying their bill, and the water company had never done something as wild as putting wood in the tube. 

Moving to the Dominican Republic has been my dream since my first trip in 2016, but I will tell you it has not been one bit easy. Living in another country comes with so many challenges and experiences that many of my family and friends back in the states will not fully be able to comprehend. Life and culture look so much different here.

You have to fight for what you need and be really assertive. 

 You have to have thick skin and cannot take things to heart because Dominicans say whatever comes to their mind.

You have to be super discerning because there is a lot of corruption everywhere, and people try to take advantage of you–especially when you are a minority. 

The water and electricity company seem to do whatever they want which means not consistently providing you the services you pay for, but somehow they still think it is okay to charge you the same amount each month although you are water and electricity-less. 

Salaries are low while prices and taxes are continually increasing. I know this is happening all over the world, but the corruption is so heavy in this country. Being married to a Dominican has taught me so much and really opened my eyes to things that others may not catch. This country is RICH from the tourism industry. Yet, the system does not set Dominicans up for success. So many Dominicans spend so much money and time on earning a degree, yet they are stuck in a cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. The government takes your taxes and retirement, but there is no such thing as tax returns, and you have to work for at least 30 years and be 60 years old to apply for retirement. Many say that you have to really fight to even see your retirement money and it is rare if it is given to you (I am actually included in this since I am a resident with a Dominican ID card and am discounted monthly as a Dominican is).

Don’t even get me started on the driving. In some ways I like it more than in the United States, but in other ways, I just want to knock over the motos that think they can run into our car and leave our side view mirrors hanging off (true story). 

Now I will say that I know a lot of tourists who come here and complain about the roosters, subwoofers late into the night, not being able to flush toilet paper, etc. These are some things that others have grumbled about that I have actually gotten used to or have grown to like because it is a part of the culture that I love. Although I am still not a fan of all the cockroaches, I am not afraid to kill them now. Jeje

Here is the truth…although this is a paradise or a vacation spot for many, everyday life here is challenging. But here is the other truth…I am thankful for the experiences I have had because they have made me so much more teachable and they have matured me in so many ways. I will not lie, that there have been days where I would like to scream into my pillow out of frustration. But I have been learning that our perspective and response to difficult situations are KEY. My prayer has always been that God would use the hardships and whack things my husband and I have walked through in order to come alongside others and encourage them as they face similar hurdles. I would choose to move here and experience it all over again if I had to. 

There are always going to be things you do not like, obstacles to overcome, or even cultural differences that you have to adjust to and roll with. This is life. And no matter the difficulties that come with living in the Dominican Republic, I really do love this culture and country so much. I am thankful for my life here and for everything I have learned along the way. I know these hard parts of living in the Dominican Republic may continue, but I would not want to be anywhere else. 

Why I Love the Dominican Republic

I get asked often what I love about the Dominican Republic. The answer is, there is so much that I love about this country. 

In honor of the Dominican Republic celebrating 180 years of freedom today, I thought it would be fun to share the things that I admire and love so much about the culture and country that God brought me to a little over five years ago. 

  1. I love Dominican food. Of course I would say food first jeje. I am a foodie! Hands down best food ever. La bandera (rice, beans, chicken, and sometimes salad), mangú con huevo, moro, locrio, YUCA, fresh mango and all the fruits, fried plantains,  sancocho, pastelón, patacón and all the street food, and so on. Chef’s kiss…best food ever. I am learning each day how to get better at my Dominican cooking. I think I finally have my moro down!

2. I really like that it is a moral country. Now, some may argue with me on this because there is a lot of corruption and Dominicans love to make a party out of everything (also corruption is everywhere unfortunately).  But there are things that the world approves that is 100% against what God’s Word says. The majority of Dominicans that I have come into contact with agree with God’s original design. I really like that.

3. Now going along with what I said above, I love that the Dominican Republic has a Bible in the middle of the flag. It is one of the only countries that has this. The Bible is open to John 8:32, “They will know the truth and the truth will set them free.” Juan Pablo Durate who is one of the country’s founding fathers is quoted, “Dios, Patria, y Libertad.” This means God, Country, and Freedom. Dominicans are proud to say this. 

4. I love the culture. Yes, Dominican time is real– and the longer I have lived here, the more I actually have enjoyed having this more and more. Dominicans love their music and invest a lot in their subwoofers. Colmados at almost every corner, man there is so much to share. Dominicans are just free to be themselves. They are not inhibited by what others may think or say. They are free spirited which is liberating for others around them too. 

5. I love the simplicity of life here. Dominicans make do with what they have. I once had my car hanging together by zip ties because that’s how things are done, and guess what…it was cheap and it held together! I haven’t had a phone plan in over 3 years. We lived without running water for 2 years. We survived off of a big tank of water in our bathroom, and it was a pain and not ideal…but you make do! And not to mention, it makes you very grateful for what you do have when you learn what it is like to be without. There is so much contentment in living simply.  Being married to a Dominican and living here for some years, I have learned more about what is a need and what is a want. Everything in our house has a purpose. I love this lifestyle.

6. I really like that when a Dominican walks into a room, they go around and acknowledge everyone else in the room with a hug and kiss on the cheek or a handshake.This is something that is changing in younger generations since COVID, but it is still rooted in the culture. 

7. I love the language. Dominican Spanish is different from any other Spanish you will ever hear. It is FAST and made up of SO much slang. Domincans even take English words and make them Spanish with a Dominican flow, and it is hilarious. Some examples: 

hot dog= ho-do  or   I’m chilling= ‘toy chillen

  1. The most beautiful land. The palm trees, surrounding mountains, beaches, rivers, waterfalls, and so much more natural beauty! I love the colorful buildings and archetecture. ¡Es una tierra tan hermosa!

9. There is so much talent that has come out and continues to come out of this country. Singers, music (merengue and bachata), baseball players, and even actors. There are many Dominicans that have worked their way out of the barrios with their talent and now they use it to help provide for their families. It is really admirable. And just to brag on my husband a little…he is an unbelievable baseball player who could have made it to the big leagues! Also a great dancer, I swear it is in Dominican blood. I hope our son has moves like his papi.

10. Now I have to save the best for last. I love this country because it gave me my amazing husband. Well, God gave me my husband, but it took coming here to meet him! It took so much to get here, and I have walked through a lot of stretching seasons while living here, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. And now we are going to have a little dominigringo son who I hope will be proud of his American and Dominican roots. This country has given me the greatest gifts of my life–my Alan and unborn son! Oh and I cannot forget our Brunito (our dog)!

The Dominican Republic is so much more than just its beautiful resorts and beaches. This country is full of history, rich culture, a beautiful language, incredible food, people, and so much more. I am grateful for everything that I have learned while living here–through the good and bad. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

¡Feliz día de Independencia RD!

I’ve Already Prayed About It

I can’t tell you how many times I have prayed about something heavy on my heart, and then not even 24 hours later I start worrying about that same thing again. 

It is just a normal human struggle. We pray and say that we trust the Lord, and yet we also crave to be in control and know how things will play out. 

It has been such a whirlwind for my husband and I since fall last year. After years of waiting and working hard to obtain my husband’s U.S. visa, the U.S. embassy denied him the visa without even giving him 5 minutes. It was something we had worked so hard for, and we had prayed over sooo much. After being married for 3 years, doing everything lawyers and governments recommend and require just for us to be together, we were denied the chance to travel together. It just didn’t make sense. It was a big blow to say the least.

Less than a month later we found out we were pregnant. But then we got hit with the news of me having a hematoma and being at high risk of miscarriage. I was convinced I was losing our baby. But I pleaded with the Lord for our baby’s little life and to dry up the hematoma. Once I recovered and all of my sonograms came back hematoma free, we had a death in the family. 

Oh, we had really cried out to God for this family member, begging the Lord to bring complete restoration and do what seemed impossible. We prayed that He would move in such a mighty way and use it to bring salvation to family members who do not know Him. We had different churches and prayer warriors fighting on their knees with us too. Then, the family member suddenly passed away. We were so sure that God was going to touch his body and bring healing. 

Then we got smacked with some financial blows soon after. It has been such a crazy, almost heavy season for us where we have done nothing but run to the Lord in prayer and ask him to move on our behalf and our loved ones’ behalfs. And yet, God hasn’t always answered in the way we would have hoped. 

Life is full of celebrations and struggles. How we respond to the trials matters. We can choose to fall into the victim or negative mentality, or we can tackle trials with a positive attitude knowing that Christ always brings us to the other side. 

My husband and I have played victim more times than I would like to admit. It is quite honestly embarrassing. In this new season of life, even with all of its hardships, I am choosing to stay positive. My new motto is, “I have already prayed about it, so I am not going to stress.” 

I am retraining my mind to not dwell on things that are out of my control, but place them in the hands of the One who holds all the control. 

Now, with this I have come to recognize that the Lord may not always answer my prayers in the way that I would hope or expect. BUT–here is the big but– I find a sense of peace knowing that He is sovereign and He will work each thing out for the good of those who love Him.  I can trust Him. He is  a good Father, even if He tells me no. 

I know that there are a lot of BIG changes ahead for our growing family. Some of these changes will come with new responsibilities and bumps in the road. But I will not fear because I have already prayed–and will continue to pray for our family each step of the way. I will rest in the Lord and know that He is working tirelessly behind the scenes for us. He is a good Father, worthy of all of our trust. We can release full control to Him.