Hey Maggie,
Well first off, congrats on the big decision (well, almost
) to make the move! I agree with HillBilly in reading up on culture shock. I lived in Turks and Caicos, Mexico, the UK, and Martinique and of course the DR...nothing quite gave me the culture shock that the DR did! It's not to say it's all bad, in fact I lived there for some time and after 5 years away I'm now headed back to stay (I hope forever
)
Visiting and living there are completely different things. I understand you have friends there, and you've visited their homes and experienced a tiny taste of 'authentic' DR life, but you need time to experience it all and make an informed decision.
In my take, things that you would enjoy are obvious are the beaches, the laid back life-style (now, that is a double-edged sword
, the language, so many things...
Bear in mind, electricity, hot water, CLEAN water, creature comforts like internet, cable television, hot baths, etc....these are more luxuries here than anything else. If you get into a relationship with a Dominicano, you may find that you'll be treated differently than back at home in Canada (at least I did). With respect to Healthcare, I'd recommend ensuring you have good insurance coverage and a private clinic...
As for Canadians, I lived in Cabarete and I know there were a fair deal of Canadians living there, as well as Puerto Plata area (Sosua, POP, Cabarete) and now...Cabrera!
Others would have more advice for you, too!
I'm blabbing on, but really what I want to say is if you are able to take a sabbatical for say, one year, that would give you a perfect opportunity to explore the DR and lifestyle and make an informed decision if you want to stay! May I ask what kind of work you'd hope to do there? That'd help you also choose where best to settle! Good luck!