American Girl moving to DR soon

[little Joe]

Hey there~

My name is Sunnie and I'm a 26-year old American female. I just got out of the US Army after almost 8 years and am planning a move to the DR around the 1st of July. I'm really excited to begin a new life but am terrified at the same time because I don't know a soul in the DR.

I have a 2 year old daughter and I'm so disillusioned by this country that I can't bring myself to raise her in the US. I met several Dominicans while I was in the military and have always been intrigued by the country.

I would really like to meet some people online before I make the move down there. I would be so grateful if someone would be willing to show me the ropes as far as employment, living arrangements, etc.

When I arrive next month, I have absolutely no idea where my daughter and I will be living. I'm not in the market to buy a house so I will have to rent something relatively cheap. When we first arrive, I would really like to find someone we can stay with for a couple of days while we get on our feet and find a place to live. If someone would be kind enough to open up their home to us for a couple of days then I would insist upon cooking, cleaning, etc.

I'm single and am not necessarily looking for a serious relationship but I am definitely open to the idea of falling in love with someone. I believe these things happen when we least expect them.

If anyone is interested in getting to know me better and possibly help out a bit, please mail me at sunnie_marie@hotmail.com. I have pictures of myself that I can email as well because I know it's hard to talk to people online and not know what they look like.

I really hope that I'm able to make some friends online before I move to the DR. It would be so nice to have open arms waiting for us when we get there. And please understand that I'm not looking for any handouts - I'm coming to the country to work hard and begin a new life but it would be so much easier if I knew some genuine people that I can trust.

Hugs!

Sunnie

If you are looking for a tropical place to live I suggest Puerto Rico. It has great opportunities for people in the military. I have family living in P.R. that live very well and comfortable ($) that have been in the military. The children went to military school and they are all very successful. If the Dominican Republic is still something that you are interested in its only a 45 minute plan ride, you will be able to visit very frequent and get to know the country better. I my self will be moving to DR in November 2006 with my daughter (my husband is currently living there now). I am Puerto Rican born and raised in the US. Speak Spanish, read it very little and can not write it. I am taking a big step but I feel confidante that we are going to be living well. I decided to do home schooling for my daughter until she gets adjusted. I also agree with all the other forums that you received I think that you should really look into every step that you take. I have visited DR in two different occasions and I thank my husband and his family for all the support because for sure you'll need someone to guide your every step.

Lots of luck,

 

[ggn420]

Scared Her Away

Escott, My point was that I did not see(to this day) a reply back from her on all the posts......I think she got cold feet, I think it was just a case of too many people responding at the same time with the same reply. I think it blew her away. You have to wonder about her credibility..............military and all, I tried her at her Email and it bounced back (server unavailable) What the f... is up with that ? I live part time in OtraBanda, we do impotation of wrapper tobacco from the states into the DR...factories in Santiago, Davidoff etc.

 

[rellosk]

Escott, My point was that I did not see(to this day) a reply back from her on all the posts......I think she got cold feet...

Give it some time. It hasn't even been 24 hours since her original post.

 

[miguel]

True but.....

Give it some time. It hasn't even been 24 hours since her original post.

Well, in a way you are right but she was on last night, way after she started this thread, and still did not respond.

YOu have to understand that some people just need approval for certain things and when they don't "hear" what they want to "hear", they just go away.

I belive that her mind was already made up and she just needed someone to tell her that she was doing the right thing and since noone did, she did not want to "hear it".

I wonder if she is laughing at us in a corner somewhere.

I said what I had to say and now it's up to her if she want to "listen" to all our advices. For me it's "ROGER AND OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".

 

[sunshine_79]

I appreciate the input from everyone. I suppose I should have explained myself a bit more clearly on my original post, however.
I've been researching this move for several months now and have been saving up enough money to support myself for several months when I first arrive there. I don't have on a pair of rose-colored glasses and I know that finding gainful employment and a decent place to live are not going to happen overnight and that's why I asked for any help or input.
As much information as I have ascertained from the internet, all the research in the world will not fully prepare me; the only way to get a full dose of reality is to just go.
I'm still great friends with my daughter's father and he is going to be taking care of her in the states until I've gotten myself established. I wouldn't just show up in a foregin country with her and not know what I'm going to do. I'm young but not that irresponsible. Again, I really should have explained myself better in my original post so any harsh words regarding her I fully deserved but sometimes I just get way ahead of myself. I re-read my post and i did seem like I was being a bit of a naive, silly girl with delusions of grandeur. I don't want to come to the DR solely on the basis of the whole "Paradise" notion, I know better than that. There are a lot of factors that have helped me make my decision. I have researched many, many countries and after a lot of thought have decided that the DR is most consistent with my needs and my wants.
I have got a lot of conflicting information as far as employment, however. I don't require anything that will provide me a luxurious lifestyle, I'm a bit of a minimalist. All I want to do is be able to put a roof over my daughter's head and make sure she receives the best education possible. I just returned from Balad, Iraq a few months ago and the worst part about the deployment was seeing all of the kids that didn't have anything, that really broke my heart. But it made me realize that kids don't necessarily need expensive toys and video games to thrive and be happy, they just need a stable and loving home and the basics such as food and water. Don't get me wrong - I indulge my daughter quite a bit because that's sort of what childhood is for but I'm not raising her to be expectant of material things all the time. Hope that makes sense, I'm not always the most articulate person in the world.

And someone mentioned that I was mad at Uncle Sam but that's not the case. I'm just a bit disillusioned from being in Iraq, it's a long story. Just believe me when I say that what everyone sees on Cnn and Fox News doesn't even begin to portray a realistic picture of what's going on in the "sandbox". But it's still a great country. I love my country, that's why I dd 8 years of active duty. I may feel let down by the current government and administration but it's still a great country.

If anyone does have some more input for me as far as what to expect regarding the employment aspect, it would be greatly appreciated. I am planning on settling in Puerto Plata or somewhere in it's vicinity. I've already talked to a couple of really nice, helpful people who are familiar with this area and it's made me feel a hundred times better. Any information at all is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Sunnie

sunnie_marie@hotmail.com

 

[sunshine_79]

"Did you not take advantage of any skill training why'll in service. Hymm I don't know!! your not giving us your whole story, not that it's any of our business, but your talking desperate, moving to a country you only heard of,
and soliciting strangers to pick you and your daughter up.. like if you were a hood rat...c'mon you don't sound like a trained military officer to me.

"




That is a bit harsh. I'm not a defector, I served 8 years on active duty, fulfilled my MSO and got an honorable discharge. I never said I was an officer. I'm very proud to say that I was an NCO because I worked very hard to get my rank. I had to work twice as hard as the guys because I was with a predominantly male unit at Ft Bragg and the operational tempo was unbelievably fast. But I'm not whining about gender issues, I think women should have to work just as hard, if not harder, than the men because of the mission of the US military. I hate to sound anti-feminist but it's the army, not a social experiment.

Sorry to digress, but what you posted was really hurtful and totally unecessary and was also partially incorrect. I don't get any kind of "pension" as I did not retire and do not have any service-connected disability. And yes, I am eligible for the active duty GI Bill but seeing as how I worked my a** off to get a degree while I was on active duty, the only thing left for me is to go to graduate school which I cannot afford and the $1000 monthly stipend the GI Bill provides. I know it sounds like a lot of money but when it's going to be used for graduate studies, it hardly makes a dent.

And as far as skills in the military, yes I do have a lot of them. I had two MOS's in 8 years, I was Signal and Aviation. Basically I fixed SINCGARS radios and then learned how to fix helicopters. But there are other things I picked up along the way such as combat lifesaving skills, leadership attributes and a lot of hands on work with people much less fortunate than I. Being in a combat zone for a year tends to make you grow up a little faster than your average 26 year old.

And I did not ask for someone to pick my daughter and I up. What I said was that if there was any trustworthy people who were willing to help then I would like to explore the option of letting that person help me out until I find a place to rent, in exchange for help on my part such as cleaning, cooking and child care. If you will refer to my previous post, my daughter is staying with her father in the US until I'm on my feet but I did not explain that in my original post which is my fault. Please don't make it sound like I am prostituting myself out , that's really unecessary. While I'm not naive I still have a lot of faith in the basic goodness of most people and that's why I mentioned that topic. If it's wrong to still have a belief that people are inherently good at heart then I guess I'm wrong but that's my problem, not yours.


Again, your post was really rude and if you don't have anything to say other than inflammatory remarks then you don't need to bother with giving me "advice". Thank you

 

[miguel]

My apologies!

I appreciate the input from everyone. I suppose I should have explained myself a bit more clearly on my original post, however.
I've been researching this move for several months now and have been saving up enough money to support myself for several months when I first arrive there. I don't have on a pair of rose-colored glasses and I know that finding gainful employment and a decent place to live are not going to happen overnight and that's why I asked for any help or input.
As much information as I have ascertained from the internet, all the research in the world will not fully prepare me; the only way to get a full dose of reality is to just go.
I'm still great friends with my daughter's father and he is going to be taking care of her in the states until I've gotten myself established. I wouldn't just show up in a foregin country with her and not know what I'm going to do. I'm young but not that irresponsible. Again, I really should have explained myself better in my original post so any harsh words regarding her I fully deserved but sometimes I just get way ahead of myself. I re-read my post and i did seem like I was being a bit of a naive, silly girl with delusions of grandeur. I don't want to come to the DR solely on the basis of the whole "Paradise" notion, I know better than that. There are a lot of factors that have helped me make my decision. I have researched many, many countries and after a lot of thought have decided that the DR is most consistent with my needs and my wants.
I have got a lot of conflicting information as far as employment, however. I don't require anything that will provide me a luxurious lifestyle, I'm a bit of a minimalist. All I want to do is be able to put a roof over my daughter's head and make sure she receives the best education possible. I just returned from Balad, Iraq a few months ago and the worst part about the deployment was seeing all of the kids that didn't have anything, that really broke my heart. But it made me realize that kids don't necessarily need expensive toys and video games to thrive and be happy, they just need a stable and loving home and the basics such as food and water. Don't get me wrong - I indulge my daughter quite a bit because that's sort of what childhood is for but I'm not raising her to be expectant of material things all the time. Hope that makes sense, I'm not always the most articulate person in the world.

And someone mentioned that I was mad at Uncle Sam but that's not the case. I'm just a bit disillusioned from being in Iraq, it's a long story. Just believe me when I say that what everyone sees on Cnn and Fox News doesn't even begin to portray a realistic picture of what's going on in the "sandbox". But it's still a great country. I love my country, that's why I dd 8 years of active duty. I may feel let down by the current government and administration but it's still a great country.

If anyone does have some more input for me as far as what to expect regarding the employment aspect, it would be greatly appreciated. I am planning on settling in Puerto Plata or somewhere in it's vicinity. I've already talked to a couple of really nice, helpful people who are familiar with this area and it's made me feel a hundred times better. Any information at all is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Sunnie

sunnie_marie@hotmail.com

I will be the first one to say that I am VERY SORRY for my last post. I will take back the "roger and out" statement.

I just wish that you could give it some more thought but since you already have you mind set, all I can tell you is that when you get there, give it time. You may not like what you see at the beginning but keep in mind that not only you will be in a different country, you will need, also, to get used to the culture and the dominican everyday life. I love the DR but there has been times where I just can not wait to get out, and I have many friends and relatives over there.

You will have hundreds of things to worry about while over there. Just keep an open mind and do not believe EVERYTHING that comes out of people's mouths.

Good luck.

 

[sunshine_79]

Escott, My point was that I did not see(to this day) a reply back from her on all the posts......I think she got cold feet, I think it was just a case of too many people responding at the same time with the same reply. I think it blew her away. You have to wonder about her credibility..............military and all, I tried her at her Email and it bounced back (server unavailable) What the f... is up with that ? I live part time in OtraBanda, we do impotation of wrapper tobacco from the states into the DR...factories in Santiago, Davidoff etc.

I don't scare that easily. And what do you mean when you mention my credibility?
I don't know why your email bounced back but you're more than welcome to try it again. Hotmail is notorious for hiccups such as that. My address is sunnie_marie@hotmail.com and it's a valid address.

 

[carina]

Employment aspects..

Hillbilly posted on this thread the legal part of it..
There might be other works for you of course, all depending on if you speak Spanish, your skills etc.
Puerto Plata is a small, small town, and most newbies try to work in tourism here, i.e selling excursions and so on. Or work in bars.
Even this would be hard for you to get if you don?t know the language, culture, have a social net etc.

Salaries are most often commission based, meaning you might earn from 0 and up. Barjobs are paid with a min. salary, about 200 US/month.
Living costs, are higher than your earnings.
There are many threads and postings about this here on the forum.

 

[sunshine_79]

I will be the first one to say that I am VERY SORRY for my last post. I will take back the "roger and out" statement.

I just wish that you could give it some more thought but since you already have you mind set, all I can tell you is that when you get there, give it time. You may not like what you see at the beginning but keep in mind that not only you will be in a different country, you will need, also, to get used to the culture and the dominican everyday life. I love the DR but there has been times where I just can not wait to get out, and I have many friends and relatives over there.

You will have hundreds of things to worry about while over there. Just keep an open mind and do not believe EVERYTHING that comes out of people's mouths.

Good luck.

Thanks for the apology, no hard feelings. If I had listened to everything that people have told me that was negative then I would probably have a completely mundane life. I feel like I've lived three lifetimes in my 26 years and that's a good thing.

What I don't understand is why everyone is responding with things such as "No! Don't do it". I know it's probably the biggest life change I will ever experience and that's the reason I posted on this board and not another board about the same topic. I read many, many posts and thought that most of you seemed to be knowledgeable about the subject and I thought it would be a good way to become acquainted with people who have already walked a mile in my shoes.

For all of you who are livjng in the DR that came from the US, didn't you once find yourself in my exact place? A notion turns into an idea that eventually results in a huge change. Everyone has had to start somewhere and I just thought that some people may be understanding and be able to relate to me.

Again, I really do appreciate (most) of the comments. I want to hear the good and bad. The only thing that is out of line is criticism of anything related to my time in the army because I'm damn proud of it and I wouldn't change it for the world. I would love to stay in for another 12 years but it's not really that simple. I have spent almost all of my daughter's life on some shitty deployment, whether it be stateside in Ft Polk or over a year at Camp Anaconda in Iraq. Doesn't matter where I was, it just matters that I was away from her. If I was selfish, I would ride out the next 12 years for the benefits and retirment but I don't want to miss out on anymore years of her life. Or even worse, never come home at all. It's a reality that soldiers are dying in Iraq every day and it's also a reality that if I were still in, I would most likely be over there again very soon. Some units are already on their third rotation.

I never expected to get special treatment because I'm a single mom because I made the choice to stay in the army when I had her and knew the risks. The military should not have to accomodate it's mmbers. If you make a conscious choice to serve then you need to be prepared to adapt your lifestyle to the military, not the other way around. When my second enlistment was up recently, I had to make the call and that's why I'm not still in.

 

[carina]

??

Have you ever been to the Dominican Republic?

 

[PeachezNcream84]

Sunshine

Well I cannot say I 100% agree with you decision....it doesn't really matter, cuz it's not my place to agree or disagree.

I wish you the best with your move, and hope everything goes as smoothly as possible for you. Who knows, maybe everything will turn out well, and you will fit right into the country and have a great time. And again, if it turns out to not be what you expected, nothing is stopping you from going back to the USA or trying out some other country.

But I do wish you all the best.

I willl be living close to Puerto Plata in the near future, if we keep in contact I would be more then happy to meet up with you and see how your experiences in the DR are going.I may not be in a situation to help you out too much, since I will be just starting out myself, and do not have much saved up at all.

And Dominican people are kind, giving and generous.

Once again, good luck with everything. Maybe I will see you down there.

 

[rellosk]

What I don't understand is why everyone is responding with things such as "No! Don't do it"...

There are many people on this board with quick fingers. They are quick to judge. I think most of the people posting (including myself) thought you would be making your initial trip with your baby. We didn't realize that your baby's father has an active role in her life. Your original posting might have led some to believe that you did not put much thought into the move. Your subsequent posts show otherwise.

While it will be VERY VERY difficult to live in the DR without any outside income, you are young and that's the time to take a risk. If after a period of time you find it doesn't work in the DR, you could always return to the US. GO FOR IT!!

Some advice:
Budget your money carefully, it can go very quickly.
Read some of the other threads on the cost of living in the DR.
Read some of the threads on jobs (or lack thereof). Hopefully you will be able to find a specialty job; possibly use your military connections, if you have any.
I am assuming you speak Spanish. If not take a few months before you go to learn some Spanish before you go.
Be skeptical of everyone in the DR, whether they are Dominicans or ex-patriots.
After you've done more research, don't be afraid to post more questions.

Hopefully some people in the POP area will send you PM's and help you acclimate on your arrival.

Good luck!!

 

[carina]

Rellosk, good...

advices, they are splendid and useful.

I don?t believe though that people are posting to judge.
I think it is just that so many know the reality here, and knows it is better to visit first, make extended stays and then move.
Its a matter that you actually gain from not rushing, and you learn slowly, get a social net and so on.
It can be a matter of making it or not.


And she did use "we" in her first posting, of course people reacts that live here already, that is natural. She changed that information today and posted she will come alone.

When I arrive next month, I have absolutely no idea where my daughter and I will be living. I'm not in the market to buy a house so I will have to rent something relatively cheap. When we first arrive, I would really like to find someone we can stay with for a couple of days while we get on our feet and find a place to live. If someone would be kind enough to open up their home to us for a couple of days then I would insist upon cooking, cleaning, etc.

As HB posted, it is not that people don?t want her to move here, it is that people want her to move here and be happy and able to enjoy the island instead of ending up struggling.
Cause it is hard to trust people here, it is hard for newcomers to get jobs, and it is hard for newcomers to get a descent rent of an apartment etc.
I personally don?t know anyone who moved here to live and still is here that came here without having been here on visits first.
These are things you learn along the way, and therefor visits and extented
stays are to recommend for someone moving anywhere in the world, not only here.

 

[daydream]

Hi Sunshine_79

I will be living in Puerto Plata with a friend of mine from England for 3 months from beginning of July. I am also 26.....and happy to meet up with you if you like.

There are also two Dr1 get togethers on the North Coast....one on July 3rd in Sosua and the other towards the end of July/beginning of Aug (date to be confirmed).....links are below. These would be good starting points if you want to meet people from this board and get your bearings.

http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40801
http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40691

Send me a PM if you would like to meet and we can sort something out

Best of luck with all your plans
Daydream

 

[ggn420]

Puerto Plata Small ??

Carina, Correct me if I'm wrong, but next to Santo Domingo and Santiago I beleive it is the third largest city in the DR No ?

Escott, no problemmmmmm, I just couldn't figure out what you meant by that, I had to go back to re-read my own post, and Sunnie I will try again tonite to contact you by email, the last two came back, my server is usually pretty good, don't understand what happened.....OKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

 

[Mr.Mark]

No. Based on number of inhabitants (and according to Oficina Nacional de Estad?sticas, which is the National Office of Statistics in the DR) Puerto Plata is not even among the top 5 main cities in the DR.

This is something I got from Encarta:

Santo Domingo, the capital and the leading port, had an estimated population of 2,677,056 in 2001. Santiago, known in full as Santiago de los Caballeros, is a center of trade, industry, and transportation in the north. It is the country?s second largest city, with a population of; 836,614) in (2001. Other important cities include San Pedro de Macor?s (2001 estimate; 266,629), a seaport on the Caribbean coast; La Vega (2001 estimate; 241,917), a commercial center for the agricultural north; and San Francisco de Macor?s (2000 estimate; 198,068), a commercial center for the eastern Cibao Valley and northeastern lowlands.

Puerto Plata has about 130,000 inhabitants.

Carina, Correct me if I'm wrong, but next to Santo Domingo and Santiago I beleive it is the third largest city in the DR No ?

Escott, no problemmmmmm, I just couldn't figure out what you meant by that, I had to go back to re-read my own post, and Sunnie I will try again tonite to contact you by email, the last two came back, my server is usually pretty good, don't understand what happened.....OKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

 

[Conchman]

But Puerto Plata/Sosua/Cabarete area might have the 2nd most number of expatriots in the DR (if you figure North American/European descent of course) - maybe even 1st if you dont count embassy personnel in SD.

For all thats worth.

 

[carina]

Puerto Plata town is small, Puerto Plata area is another thing.
But my point was not # of inhabitants.
When it comes to find work in POP, it is a very, very small town for good and bad.
Good in the sense that many people can suggest something they have heard,
bad in the sense there is a very large unemployment and very few job openings.

 

[NotLurking]

...very large unemployment and very few job openings.

This outlines the job market quite well in the WHOLE DR. One place you'd probably find work fairly quick is in a Calling Center (Customer Care/Service) but the pay is, how should I put this, bad at best.

Good Luck,
NotLurking