American Girl moving to DR soon

[daddy1]

So how do you like our Bootcamp so far Sunnie!!

I just want to say that now we are getting somewhere sunnie, and I'm sorry that you felt I was rude in such, but in your original post you sounded like a desperate house wife or some crazy *** chicken head looking for conversation or something...I mean some of the posters are confused, we don't know if you're for real or if you really want help..but I got you to do exactly what I wanted you to do which was to give us more details of your situation and I'm sorry I had to throw some hooks in there to get you to show more, but many of the posters here are very bright so understand why some are skeptical of your lack of common sence, it's just not flying to well with most of us right now!! I mean let me ask you this....I am moving to Iraq..I heard the bombing have stoped, I've never been there.. but I've heard...life there is a blast!!...I heard maybe I can be a police officer there
since I'm ex-military, an I realize the country has no electricity, clean water, little education, car bombers, corruption, jobs pay $1.50 an hour and no one speaks english, HEY!! but guess what...I can't speak Iraqui either, but I was in the Army I can go there and be all I can be Hoooooora!...sunnie look!! darling...just hook up with some of the people here who live in the island, set up a travel date, have them show you the ropes down there, and then we can see that you are legit o.K.

 

[daddy1]

So how do you like our Bootcamp so far Sunnie!!

I just want to say that now we are getting somewhere sunnie, and I'm sorry that you felt I was rude in such, but in your original post you sounded like a desperate house wife or some crazy *** chicken head looking for conversation or something...I mean some of the posters are confused, we don't know if you're for real or if you really want help..but I got you to do exactly what I wanted you to do which was to give us more details of your situation and I'm sorry I had to throw some hooks in there to get you to show more, but many of the posters here are very bright so understand why some are skeptical of your lack of common sence, it's just not flying to well with most of us right now!! I mean let me ask you this....I am moving to Iraq..I heard the bombing have stoped, I've never been there.. but I've heard...life there is a blast!!...I heard maybe I can be a police officer there
since I'm ex-military, an I realize the country has no electricity, clean water, little education, car bombers, corruption, jobs pay $1.50 an hour and no one speaks english, HEY!! but guess what...I can't speak Iraqui either, but I was in the Army I can go there and be all I can be Hoooooora!...sunnie look!! darling...just hook up with some of the people here who live in the island, set up a travel date, have them show you the ropes down there, and then we can see that you are legit o.K.

 

[KenoshaChris]

Rude??

Anybody from this board that knows me personally Sunnie would tell you I'm way, way, way on the other side of the spectrum from rude. Get around some bad Dominicans or Hatians and you'll learn a new meaning to that word. Stay away from the personal stuff.

 

[AtlantaBob]

Come on down, the DR1 community will help...

Escott - he can give you a temporay place to stay at the SankyBanky Half-way House.

Rocky - well he can feed you for awhile

Anna and Leslie - they can tech you Spanish

PIB and Chiri - can teach you dominican cooking

AZB - he can give you a weekly adjustment

Amy - will show you where to educate you child

Miguel - he will pay for it

Robert - will start you off in a WEB business

Grahame (where is he??) - will handle your finances

No Problem, Mon!

 

[rellosk]

It's better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all.

As much as I love my mother, I feel bad for her because she never took any chances or did anything out of the ordinary and I know she has many regrets now because we've talked about it.

I agree. There are many times in my life that I have wished I took a risk. Instead I played it safe and I now find myself wondering, "What if..".

Your situation seems to be different than most people on this board who inquire about moving to the DR. Most already have careers and homes. They are looking to sell everything, uproot and start anew. It appears that you haven't started your career and you aren't planning to sell your home to finance your move. It looks like you are to starting the next phase of your life.

Go for It!! The only thing you have to lose is time. If after a period of time you find the DR is not for you, you come back to the US and go on.


"It's better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all"

 

[amy2761]

"It's better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all"

And it's better yet to try and succeed. That's all we're doing - trying to make sure she is prepared to succeed.

Stay well,
Amy

 

[Mr.Mark]

One thing to take into account

Hey Guys...

Are you aware that this girl is a war girl? She's an Irak occupation veteran. I think that if she managed to survive in Irak she can do so in the DR. After all, people here are friendly, she's saving some money and she's doing her research. I don't think she's naive.

I recommend her to first come in vacation. I think she has a great chance of succeeding in living here.

 

[miguel]

Funny Sh**!

Escott - he can give you a temporay place to stay at the SankyBanky Half-way House.

Rocky - well he can feed you for awhile

Anna and Leslie - they can tech you Spanish

PIB and Chiri - can teach you dominican cooking

AZB - he can give you a weekly adjustment

Amy - will show you where to educate you child

Miguel - he will pay for it

Robert - will start you off in a WEB business

Grahame (where is he??) - will handle your finances

No Problem, Mon!

Now, that is funny.

You are probably right, I am such an axx that I would probably do it, hehe.

Guys, her mind is set already. Some of us are just wasting our time.

My only hope is that she received PM's from those many DR1 members that did the same thing she is doing and had to come back within months (when their money ran out).

It's easy to say "GO FOR IT" when it's not you. I am a go getter but I am a go getter that likes to plan my decisions before I make them. It's not the same to venture into a country that you know what awaits you than to go to a country that you know nothing about. Jesus Christ, some wealthy people have not been able to make it in the DR just bacause of the language barrier.

Where are those posters that posted here that they went to the DR and came back within months?. Where are those posters that went to the DR with their dominican husbands/wives and were miserable and counting the days so they can get out of the country?. Where are those posters that moved to the DR and had to come back because they could not even get a job in "paradise"?. Where are those posters that after some of us told them to "go for it" moved to the DR only to come back and tell us about the horrors that they encountered in "paradise" because they did not plan ahead?. Where those posters that after "go getting it" had to come back because almost everybody they met took advantage ot them?.

I only "went and got it" once, when I moved from NY to PA, but I made sure that the home was paid for, that it was in a good neighborhood, that I had a job, that my kids schools were good, that I had enough money in the bank to last me a while. So far so good only because I knew what on hell I was getting into.

IMO, out 10 "go getters" that move to the DR WITHOUT A PLAN, maybe 2 make it. Trust me, "paradise" is not so 'paradise" when you have no money!.

 

[jackquontee]

Good point made

Miguel, you've made some very good points, and I agree on just about all of them.

Some general comments, however. I'd like to add that the US is made up of many, many people who, in many cases, came here without a dime in their pockets, with no type of support system in place, and with no grasp of the language. They have produced many generations since their arrival. However, I agree that the one thing they had in their favor that will probably not be found in the DR, in addition to many other countries one might wish to move to, is readily available opportunities. When I hear of these things, I'm often reminded about the Lewis and Clark expedition that opened up the western frontier. They ventured into an unknown area and had to deal with some harsh realities. But, they did it. That's all I will say about that.

One of the things I refuse to do, and remember, I'm only speaking for myself here, is to discourage someone from doing something that they seem hell bent on doing. I've noticed in my short 41 years on this earth that you can ask a question and are going to receive almost as many differing opinions as you have people answering. The only way one can truly find the answer is to experience it for ones self. Sunshine has received responses that range from "Go for it", to "Don't do it", or something along those lines. Now, after receiving such conflicting messages, what should she do? I say go for it and find out for yourself.

Now obviously, it isn't as simple as just doing it. However, I, and I believe a few others, strongly suggested she develop a plan, understanding that the plan could very well fail. At this point, if she makes the attempt and fails, that bodes well for the naysayers who, in my opinion, almost seem to wish that she'll fail. But, at least she can move on knowing that she tried. If, on the other hand, she is convinced to forego something that she seems really interested in trying, she will most certainly spend the rest of her life wondering.

I'm a firm believer that if I make mistakes, they will be my own and not someone elses, because I fully understand that, in the end, I will have made the decision. One of the things that amazes me, angers me, and frustrates me, is how a question can be posed to this site, and the poster end up with a number of comments that no longer even reflect the original question. If I post to the site that I am interested in moving and would like some information that would be helpful in assisting me in that move, I would hope that people would be generous enough to provide whatever information that they might possess on the matter. The problem I see is when people decide, instead, to supplant my request for helpful information with their opinions about whether or not I should move to begin with. I understnd why it happens--because people are people. But it is the very thing that makes me wonder sometimes whether or not it is worth the trouble.

 

[sunshine_79]

Hey everyone!

I just read all the comments posted since last night and just wanted to say thanks again for all the input.
Yes, I'm still planning on arriving on the Northern Coast the first week of July. I have enough money saved to live off for a few months but whether or not I will return to the Raleigh (where I currently live) is dependent upon my experiences in the DR and what my gut feeling tells me. I know myself better than anyone after 26 years so I tend to trusts my instincts, they've never really failed me before. That's not saying that I'm diving headfirst into the situation with no regard to consequence but there is still the huge amount of faith that has to be factored in to make any big decision such as this. How everything goes in the near future ... we'll see.

A couple of you mentioned the situation in Iraq and the truth is, it wasn't as bad as one might think from watching the news or reading articles. We weren't always getting shot at or anything like you might think. Yes, there were plenty of people who either tried to kill us or wanted us dead but I had a lof of faith in myself, and most importantly in my brothers all around me. We all looked out for each other and that's what I miss about the military - the strongest bond imagineable and all of the guys (and a few girls) who became family to me and will be in my heart forever. But moving on,
it's a relatively poor country and as I said before, the kids who didn't have sh*t broke my heart. There was a child that I bonded with so much there and I inquired about adopting him and bringing him back to the US but that didn't get anywhere. I still think about him all the time and whenever I get word of another suicide bombing or IED killing people, I wonder if he's safe. But the upside to being in Balad was seeing how the smallest things could make a difference in people's lives. I lost almost 20 pounds in a couple months (and I wasn't overweight to begin with) because I couldn't consciously stuff my face when there were hungry mouths all around me. That's why I could never do something like become a doctor because I tend to have a bleeding heart and would inevitably fall for each and every story of "I can't afford to pay you" and would probably go bankrupt. I need to toughen up in that aspect. But if I could recapture the look of joy on a kid's face when I gave him the pound cake out of my MRE then I would have something to smile about for the rest of my life. During the time I was deployed there with my unit (I was with the 106th Assault Bn working with the 101st but attached to 4th ID) I witnessed a lot of positive things such as schools being built and repaired by the engineers but there was still a lot of bad things happening. The worst part was the mortar attacks, it seemed like they never quit coming. Camp Anaconda was affectionately referred to as "Mortaritaville" by all of us there. Luckily the insurgents had no accuracy at all but there was always the threat of a lucky shot looming over our heads and we knew it. I cried myself to sleep for many, many nights when I heard about the mortars that hit the chow hall tent in Mosul because that could have been any of us. That was the moment that I started to question our place over there but I won't get into that on this board because I'm not about to start a political war.

I'm not saying that just because I was in the sandbox means that I'll be just fine in the DR, I know better than to be that naive. If I thought I would automatically be peachy upon arrival then I never would have asked for insight and help in this board. I can understand why it seems as though I'm just a silly little girl with visions of a tropical paradise flashing through my head but I hope that you all can understand where I'm coming from a bit better now that I've elaborated. I know my first post was very vague but it was that way for a reason - I wanted to get a feel for the information I would receive as well as a general idea of the character of some of the posters. I wasn't comfortable laying everything out on the table in my first post because I was anticipating perhaps some skeezy offers from questionable people. I'm a realist and even though I believe people are inherently good at heart I know that there will always be the misguided ones that will rob you for the shirt off your back even after you've offered to give it to them. But now that I see most of you are genuine (and opioniated!) people I'm a lot more at ease revealing more than I did initially and beginning to scratch off some of the layers.

I've really enjoyed the posts here, the PMs and the emails that I've gotten from several of you. It's really interesting to hear everyone's story about why they are where they are. I just hope that I have a good story to tell one day, know what I mean?

And for the Spanish aspect - while I'm not fluent I still know enough to get me by at first. I know all the essential words and phrases and look forward to learning a lot more. I went to France for a month when I was on leave once without knowing a lick of French but when I left, I was really good with it. I know that French and Spanish have a lot of similarities so I'm confident that it won't be a barrier for me when I get to the DR. I'm really good at reading it because I can do so at my own pace but I'm the first to admit that I need to work on absorbing the language when it is spoken. I do know quite a bit, I just need to work on learning slang and verb congugation and I'll be fine. But I'm not one of those goofy Americans that thinks I know Spanish just because I know how to say Hola or Cerveza. It's kind of funny to me because I watched Encino Man the other day and officially know how to say "The cheese is old and moldy" in Spanish.

Again, thanks a lot. I'm sure I'll be back on the board soon. And I do apologize for being long-winded at times and for not always being articulate.

Tenga un buen d?a!!

Sunnie

 

[Escott]

Hey everyone!
Again, thanks a lot. I'm sure I'll be back on the board soon. And I do apologize for being long-winded at times and for not always being articulate.

Tenga un buen d?a!!

Sunnie

Hey, if you get into town by the 3rd of July come to my 4th of July Bash in Sosua! You will get to meet some of the humps that gave you advice

 

[sunshine_79]

Hey, if you get into town by the 3rd of July come to my 4th of July Bash in Sosua! You will get to meet some of the humps that gave you advice

I hope I'm there in time for that, it would be awesome to meet everyone in a group, I would feel much safer that way. Not to say anything negative about anyone but I'm not the type of girl who would just stop by someone's apartment for an initial meeting. I know we can't protect ourselves from everything but refusing to create a potentially harmful situation in the first place is the most preventative thing we can do.
I want to come down on the 2nd or at least early enough on the 3rd to be in time for the get-together but I'm at the mercy of my daughter's daddy. He's still in the Army (as an AGR soldier which is bascially a full timer at a National Guard unit) and will be in supply school until the very end of June. He's going to come to Raleigh, help me get my stuff in storage and get all of my baby's things all packed up and ready to go back to Missouri for awhile. But I know how the man loves to procrastinate so I'm being very flexible about my travel date.

So how are the parties down there usually? I'm not a raging alcoholic by any means but I still like to have some drinks with the best of them when I'm able to.

See ya!

Sunnie

 

[dawnwil]

see you in July!

Sunni, I hope you do make it for July 3rd! If not, there's the second party around the end of July. Look forward to meeting you. btw, you are more eloquent than you know.

Win, lose, or draw, you're fiesty!

Enjoyed this thread very much; one of the more passionate ones in presenting the many issues of a sudden move to a strange land.

DR1 made a huge difference in my move here. I was in Puerto Plata only once before in '88 for a week and at that time I hadn't a clue about a third world country. My ex and I stayed with a friend who had lived in PP for a long time and was well known and well liked in the town. I even visited the cavernous interior of a brothel in old town PP with the boys and watched a couple of girls crawl all over my ex; He didn't know what to do, but I thought it was very funny. Then again we became exs a few months later. When the power went off at the friend's house on Day 1 and there was no water and we got sick as dogs from whatever, we were disgusted and left for the nearest resort. It makes me laugh to think about it now. I didn't have a clue.

In autumn of 2003 I flew in for 10 days and flew out again with my Cedula in hand and residency process in full swing. Really. Was in SD for the first night and last entirely alone, speaking no Spanish, and up to PP by bus for the rest of the time. The minute I landed, I knew the country was for me, and I still feel this way today.

But this happened only after massive research and follow through on DR1. I knew where to go and what to do every step of the way. The only thing I wasn't prepared for was the ice cold temperature in the Caribe Tours bus. Luckily, I had one of those snuggly travel blankets with me. NO, I didn't steal it from AA.

I came with some money and some ongoing income, an annual commission from my work.

btw, I think Sunni has some specialized training that might give her a different job perspective-- I heard a helicopter flying overhead last weekend and thought, hmmm, that baby's sounding a little rough. I got thinking about mechanics for such machines here in the DR. So who knows?

Sunni, if you're still checking in here-- it's true, attending the get togethers with expats will give you much info and an introduction to the kind of people worth knowing around here.

good luck,
Dawn

 

[shadInToronto]

Hope it goes well!!!!

And if it doesn't, well you?ve gained invaluable experience in this life's journey. It's not always about 'success', i.e. acquiring material stuff (many people's definition of success differs from each other) but, also includes the intangibles (what you?ve learned form your experience).

You are very lucky to have the option to go somewhere else to get a different perspective, as you've indicated those kids in Iraq can't even think of options, and if perchance, you can't live under the circumstances you encounter in the DR, you can always go back home. So, Good Luck!!!!!
:classic: :classic: :classic:

 

[p1atan0]

DR1rs

I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the DR1rs and I must say that we really had a lot of fun. Please feel confident that nothing bad is going to happen to you in DR when you hang out with these guys like AZB and Badiece. Ill be in DR from August 20th - the 26th so unfortunately ill miss the 2nd annual 4th of July Bash in the northern coast.
p1

 

[PeachezNcream84]

Sunshine,
Whether or not you make the 4th of July bash...Hope you can make the one we are planning now for AUGUST 5, 2005.

It gives everyone 1 month and 1 day to recover from the 4th of July one. I'm sure it will be much needed!

http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40691&page=1&pp=15

We were thinking of late July...but decided August 5th would be better since we are sure everyone will need time to recover...(and other circumstances).

There will be a few girls who live in the POP area..and do not post on this board who will be there, so hopefully you can meet some of them as well.

I will be in the DR for at least 6 months this time...and once we meet, if we hit it off (I am fairly easy going ) Would love to have some more ppl in POP to visit and spend time with!!

Hope everything is going well for you, in your search for info, and in the near future, your move, and getting set up and established in the DR.

 

[eldorada]

"






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.


Sushine, I want to know if you have experience with R-44 choppers and the Piper aztec C4 Piston planes because if you do I have a proposition for you if you want to work in this field.

 

[sunshine_79]

Sushine, I want to know if you have experience with R-44 choppers and the Piper aztec C4 Piston planes because if you do I have a proposition for you if you want to work in this field.

Thanks so much for writing, I appreciate it a lot. Unfortunately, I don't have any fixed wing experience at all and the only kind of helicopters that I am familiar with are the AH-64 (Apache), AH-1 (Cobra), OH-58 (Kiowa) and UH-60 (Blackhawk). The Cobra and Kiowa are pretty much obsolete now, I think they're primarily used by the National Guard for training.

As far as the R-44, althouh I have never touched one, I'm somewhat knowledeable about Frank Robinson because we studied him and used a 44 trainer when we were learning about IFR and VFR.

What exactly does the business you're talking about do? Even if it's nothing in my field, I woud love to hear about it because I just like aviation in general.

Gracias,

Sunnie

 

[andrea22]

Lived in Puerto Plata

Hi Sunnie. I know most of the people who posted on this thread have a lot more experience living in the D.R. than I do, but I thought I would share my experience living in Puerto Plata this past winter because it was a very successful one and after reading all the posts on this thread it would be understandable if you were a bit apprehensive to move there. I went to Puerto Plata in January and had saved enough money here in Canada to live down there until March in case I wasn't able to find work. Less than a week later I had a few job offers from tour companies to work as either a Destination Rep or a Transfer Rep. I ended up taking a job as a Destination Rep and stayed down there until the middle of April. I made 8,000 RD/month salary plus approximately $200 - $350/week US commission. I found a place to stay in the city that was safe and affordable and thoroughly enjoyed living there. I'm not saying that it's easy to find a job but I was able to do so without being bilingual in Spanish. If you're interested in working as a Destination Rep or a Transfer Rep there are quite a few companies down there that do hire foreigners. It's worth a try anyway and the money isn't too bad. I don't want to give the impression that it's really easy to live there; it's just that my experience was really good and I thought I'd share it with you. Best of luck to you in the Dominican Republic. I will be coming back January 1 - April 30 next year again whether or not I have work to come to and can't wait.

 

[Dragonfly32837]

What do you do as a destination rep or transfer rep?