Hello, My name is Cyndal , I am 19 years old and my husband is 25 i live in America with my husband and 3 month old son. I am from America and my husband is from Dominican Republic he moved to the US when he was a teen. I am planning on moving to the DR for various reasons one of the main reasons being that i do not like America at all and i am tired of all the negative unhappy people and working so much just to get pretty things but never being happy. I want a life full of friendships new experiences and having fun. I have been researching this for quit some time but honestly have no clue what im doing. All i know is that i want to start my own business and want to move to Dominican Republic and start my family and a new happy life. currently me and my husband are living off low income just above minimum wadge, i just finished high school and i am decided what i should go to college for now since i want to move to DR or what i should do. I really need advice as to what to do and how much money i should save before coming and if its necessary to go to business school to start my own business there????? Also what are the first steps i should take, if you have any info about any of this i would greatly appreciate it. This is my number 1 dream and goal and i just need help with the info of getting started i really have family and my husband doesn't associate with the family in DR so i need help. Thank you for your time
- Thread starter Chichi Chichi
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Cyndal family. planning on moving to DR any advice would be great
Advice...
Take 2-3 days to read as much as possible on these forums.
I suggest you put your dream on hold and get as educated as possible in the USA, and do the same for your child.
Learn Spanish to a decent level and visit as many times as financially possible before making the move.
Life in the DR is not beaches and palm trees if you're poor or on a low income.
Take 2-3 days to read as much as possible on these forums.
I suggest you put your dream on hold and get as educated as possible in the USA, and do the same for your child.
Learn Spanish to a decent level and visit as many times as financially possible before making the move.
Life in the DR is not beaches and palm trees if you're poor or on a low income.
My 2 cents, research where you want to establish yourselves (city or campo), come here for 2-3 months to try it to see if you can adapt. You need to find a way to make money by yourselves or have a regular income.
If you like it, go back and sell everything, pack your bags, and come back. That's what I did. I learned Spanish on the spot and after 2 years, so far so good.... Still very happy of my choice... And I'm not 19... That's a proof that you can change your life at any age.
Good luck and don't hesitate to live your dream...
If you like it, go back and sell everything, pack your bags, and come back. That's what I did. I learned Spanish on the spot and after 2 years, so far so good.... Still very happy of my choice... And I'm not 19... That's a proof that you can change your life at any age.
Good luck and don't hesitate to live your dream...
Go to school for IT or something along those lines. Get some certifications. A good job here pays $150 per week. Thats a good job. My brother inlaw is your age. He works 60+ hours a week. He might make $300 per month. Or find some kind of seasonal type career where you can take extended vacations here. Or maybe got to school for hospitality industry. You still arent gonna make much money but its possible you could make your way up the ladder to more pay. However this is a patriarchal society. Which means your gonna have a hard time getting ahead as a woman. Not saying it isnt possible. Anything is possible. Well aside from bring this country into the modern era.
If i was 19 and without child i would move to the Florida Keys. Tropical yet compared to here really clean and relatively safe. And if u get mugged in the Keys you will more than likely live to see another day. Here, not so much. But as 19 yo with very little life experience and a very young child i would try to wipe this dream of the DR out of my head.
Do yourself a huge favor. Get an in demand skill or education before you do anything. You could literally spend the next 18 years prepping for this move and then when you finally made the leap you could do it without bringing a child down here. And at 37 you still would be really young and with twice the life experience you currently have. You do not want to be poor here.
Best of luck young lady.
If i was 19 and without child i would move to the Florida Keys. Tropical yet compared to here really clean and relatively safe. And if u get mugged in the Keys you will more than likely live to see another day. Here, not so much. But as 19 yo with very little life experience and a very young child i would try to wipe this dream of the DR out of my head.
Do yourself a huge favor. Get an in demand skill or education before you do anything. You could literally spend the next 18 years prepping for this move and then when you finally made the leap you could do it without bringing a child down here. And at 37 you still would be really young and with twice the life experience you currently have. You do not want to be poor here.
Best of luck young lady.
I am afraid that most of the advise you will receive from this forum will be to tell you what you are asking is almost an impossibility in your case. If you think coming to the DR is going to be any easier it will not be. It is expensive to move here. Many people spend a life time saving money to come here. As an example, if you come here with the intention of living here than you need to apply for residency. There is an attorney involved and this will cost you a minimum of $2500-3000usds. Unless you or your husband have a specific skill than it will be difficult to find a good paying job. To own a business in the DR you will need to be bi-lingual. There are a host of other problems you will face. Have you ever been to the DR? I'm sorry but this sounds like a pipe dream. Good luck.
LTSteve
LTSteve
youth... too bad it's wasted on the young! I know that sounds sarcastic... and maybe it is. As a young pup I also acted impetuously once or twice, and paid the eventual price for doing so. Never did it involve running away to another country and culture though! That would be rolling the dice in a pretty big game.
Listen to Robert... he said it best and far more gently than I would have. The problem with being 19 is NOT that you don't know anything... it's that YOU DON'T KNOW that you don't know anything.
Go to school... there are ways to make the $$$ work. "Don't like America"???? Stop listening to the media or whatever source that is telling you how bad it is. Believe me, it doesn't get much better than the U.S. Tired of unhappy people??? Change your circle of friends... or maybe "get happy" yourself! You can't "run away"... you take your problems with you wherever you go, and most likely will find some more to add to the list.
Listen to Robert... he said it best and far more gently than I would have. The problem with being 19 is NOT that you don't know anything... it's that YOU DON'T KNOW that you don't know anything.
Go to school... there are ways to make the $$$ work. "Don't like America"???? Stop listening to the media or whatever source that is telling you how bad it is. Believe me, it doesn't get much better than the U.S. Tired of unhappy people??? Change your circle of friends... or maybe "get happy" yourself! You can't "run away"... you take your problems with you wherever you go, and most likely will find some more to add to the list.
On a positive note, if the husband is Dominican he may have good family contacts here to get a reasonable job. If the OP gains some good IT and language skills at college before coming she should always find work. Even if she comes sooner, I would say that age 19 is not a bad age to take a few risks in life. You need to gain experience and find out what type of life you want, and there is plenty of time to change again and put things right if necessary.
Most 19 yr olds in the USA should be preparing for the spring semester in college not sitting around with a husband and a 3 month old wondering why they are so unhappy. The experience you get when you are 18 to 25 is priceless you learn a lot of who you are. I can't tell you how important these years are. You can make your life start off on the right foot or you can make you life VERY HARD depending on the choices you make. You already have a lot on your plate with a family at the age of 19 and starting a life in a new country and culture can be so overwhelming for a 38 yr old woman with a family. SLOW DOWN.
Now for the DR:
1. Why are you not getting as much info from your husband about DR, because even though he came to the USA as a teen he still knows everything about life in the DR. Trust me.
2.I am curious but who told you all Dominicans are "happy" people??? You will find out right away in DR how big this misconception really is.
3. Walk into any Wal Mart where you are and ask how much a cashier makes then find out what a cashier make at a store call Jumbo and La Sirena. After you do this then compare the price of food at these stores, and you will say to yourself "something is not right here people in Walmart make more money, but their food is cheaper, and people in Jumbo make so little yet their food is higher"
4. You know the USA is a very large country with 50 little countries within and each one is totally different then the other. The Dominican Republic is a island as you know, and once you on that island your on that island. No such thing as packing the family up and hitting the road to find a new life, unless Haiti sounds appealing to you. The DR is the size of maybe New Jersey and when you do not have other states surrounding you the island can seem very small and you seem like your stuck. Let say you are from New Jersey you and your family could drive from NJ to California and it is like you are in another country.
Lastly let say you do go ahead and move to the DR, and you realize you do not enjoy island life as much as you thought. You know all of those "unhappy" Americans will be the only people to help get you off the island. If you are broke in DR buying two plane tickets is like hitting the lottery they are so far out of reach depending on your home state. No Greyhound bus or Amtrak train will be able to get you home.
BTW You and your family qualify for a lot because you do not make much money, like right now it is TAX SEASON and you should be receiving a nice tax return. Find out how much money a Dominican woman in the same boat as you in DR how much money her government sends her at the end of the year.
Do not BURN any bridges in the USA if you head south, keep that bridge LIT in the dark and do regular maintenance on it as much as possible.
Now for the DR:
1. Why are you not getting as much info from your husband about DR, because even though he came to the USA as a teen he still knows everything about life in the DR. Trust me.
2.I am curious but who told you all Dominicans are "happy" people??? You will find out right away in DR how big this misconception really is.
3. Walk into any Wal Mart where you are and ask how much a cashier makes then find out what a cashier make at a store call Jumbo and La Sirena. After you do this then compare the price of food at these stores, and you will say to yourself "something is not right here people in Walmart make more money, but their food is cheaper, and people in Jumbo make so little yet their food is higher"
4. You know the USA is a very large country with 50 little countries within and each one is totally different then the other. The Dominican Republic is a island as you know, and once you on that island your on that island. No such thing as packing the family up and hitting the road to find a new life, unless Haiti sounds appealing to you. The DR is the size of maybe New Jersey and when you do not have other states surrounding you the island can seem very small and you seem like your stuck. Let say you are from New Jersey you and your family could drive from NJ to California and it is like you are in another country.
Lastly let say you do go ahead and move to the DR, and you realize you do not enjoy island life as much as you thought. You know all of those "unhappy" Americans will be the only people to help get you off the island. If you are broke in DR buying two plane tickets is like hitting the lottery they are so far out of reach depending on your home state. No Greyhound bus or Amtrak train will be able to get you home.
BTW You and your family qualify for a lot because you do not make much money, like right now it is TAX SEASON and you should be receiving a nice tax return. Find out how much money a Dominican woman in the same boat as you in DR how much money her government sends her at the end of the year.
Do not BURN any bridges in the USA if you head south, keep that bridge LIT in the dark and do regular maintenance on it as much as possible.
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I got a "PM" from Chichi, said she couldn't see her post, maybe that's why she hasn't responded as of now.
As far as "Advice", ...."No Way" will I give any!
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As far as "Advice", ...."No Way" will I give any!
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And you've living in the rest of the first world countries so you can make that claim, right.
Clearly, she has a lot to learn. Hopefully, she'll take Robert's advice and do her research prior to selling everything in the house.
If you have Spanish, sufficient funds, and the right temperament, DR can be an amazing experience. But the OP really should consider finishing (or perhaps starting) school first. College is great, but a substantial vocational program can be helpful as well.
If you have Spanish, sufficient funds, and the right temperament, DR can be an amazing experience. But the OP really should consider finishing (or perhaps starting) school first. College is great, but a substantial vocational program can be helpful as well.
wow i didn't expect people to be so blunt and mean. Sorry to have shocked everyone because i am exploring my options. And i have been on my own since i was 15 turning 16 so to have a husband and child has made me very happy. In other countries that is perfectly normal and in this country at one time was perfectly normal but now society thinks its so horrible to settle down at 19. I am very happy that i have a son and husband. Also i love people in general and i am very nice to everyone and very seldom give up on people. I just want a dramatic change and moving to a different state isnt cutting it because ive lived in so many due to moving so many times as a child. Its not that i hate america or all the people in it i just find it boring here and want something different. I am not planning on leaving with no education or packing my bags right this minute and getting on the first flight. But in my opinion it is never to early to investigate and get ideas and information on something that you want in life. Sorry if it may seem that im planning on leaving tonight i guess i just wanted an idea of what i would be getting my self into. And yes my husband tells me a lot a lot a lot about the country but he lived in a poor area and was poor himself so his stories are very discouraging. Im just lost in so many areas as far as what to go to school for and such. But i really do want to possibly move to the DR and am going to visit soon. And im not at all running away from my problems because i dont feel i have any the only so called problems i would be running away from is the fact most people here are not happy and it has nothing to do with my circle of friends because for 1 i don't really have friends because most kids my age are drinking smoking and partying and for 2 i want to focus on my goals and dreams, its daily people that i encounter that i find rude and unhappy which doesn't make them bad people i just feel that people in the US are chasing money and material things more than family and self happiness. Sorry if i offended anyone by saying i don't want to live here. I mean come on people im pretty sure you live there your self so can you really blame me for not wanting to live in the US????? I agree that i should slow down but im not trying to move today just trying to get advice and information about the country. Thank you everyone for giving me advice/opinions
Sorry everyone if i offended you by saying i dont want to live in America. I guess i shouldnt move to DR and will close this door. Thank you
I agree, BUT with the one glaring exception of the 3 month old child being dragged into the picture. IMHO once a person becomes a parent, it is necessary to put the well being of the child first, and personal "adventures" way down on the list.
I'm all for all these various young people dropping their privileged lives in a developed country with its vast array of safety nets, in favor of running away to far flung corners of the world, but I DO NOT agree with doing so with young kids in tow.
Exactly. If she was 19 and no kid, id say screw it come on down. Have a blast, when u get sick of it leave. I have been telling my daughter for years, dont listen to me or your mother when it comes down to how you want to live your life. In fact i encourageher to take a couple years after high school to go check things out. Before you have any real responsibilities. I really cant see that going to college with zero life experience is helpful. I mean how the hell are you gonna choose a career when you have no idea all the different possibilities you have. But for the OP it woud be extremely irresponsible to come down here with a baby.
I don't know, Ken... she's tossing out a lot of "dislikes"... especially for advice that doesn't knit closely with her agenda. I'm wondering if she is even 19... by that age my kids would at least listen to me... sometimes... LOL