in a word: beautiful... the sand was warm and soft like silk... the ocean, bluest of blues and consistently at the perfect temperature to just waltz right in and cool off in the heat of the day... even the bitterness of its salty existence couldn't keep us away... it was like out of a film; it was our own private paradise come true...
unlike the tourist-heavy beaches of cancun i'd once adored, in the dominican you aren't surrounded by other hotels... it was just us and our resort with simply miles of beach to wander both right and left... the palm trees devoured the shoreline with meters separating each of the tall specimens from one another... their vibrant green leaves crashed delicately together in the comforting and cooling breeze, emulating the soft pitter-patter of an evening rainfall...our days were filled with a simple routine of breakfast, beach, lunch, beach nap, shower, dinner, entertainment/drinks, sleep... it never got old, it just got better... our very first evening was an innocent trip to the entertainment at 10:00, which ultimately led to me being pulled up on stage to compete against three other women in the miss sirenis 2006 contest... after shaking my rump, catwalking it, singing and acting i'd won and made canada proud... a bottle of bubbly, dominican rum, a t-shirt and certificate were my parting gifts... and 6 days to follow of "hey, miss sirenis!"... embarrassment with a huge side of elation...
we met some locals (one basically proposed marriage to rachel)... i made a cigar... we swam, we drank, we ate, we saw... and we gathered so many memories that they're better shared in person than through this impersonal blog... i only hope that i get the chance to share them all with you... i now walk proud with my sun-kissed skin glowing in the summer sun and a fresh dose of freckles sprinkled across my nose... i swear, i've never felt more at peace and content with everything around me... it's like a load has been lifted and now everything is just to be lived... nature's beauty has a way of making the most beautiful changes...
