Before starting work as a PA in the emergency room, it takes months of credentialing and licensure and waiting. I went from having NO personal time after years of intensive studying to become a medical provider....to having all the time in the world.
I went from thinking of medicine every moment of my life to listening to podcasts, cooking, taking Napoleon on runs, and feeling ultimately a little lost. I was used to having every moment be purposeful and pressured and planned, and all of a sudden I was trying to find activities to fill my time.
Xavier had already started work. So, when one of my closest friends from PA school, James, said that he would be going to Dominican Republic with some friends to relax in a Villa and kitesurf, I said I'll see you soon!
After all, I'd see a new country, see friends, learn a new sport, and relax in the sun.
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| Villa Relaxation |
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| James at the closest beach |
Kite surfing is HARD. It's tough on your body and very precise movements and there's a learning curve to it. You have a large inflated kite that perfectly captures the beach's large wing gusts and is very controllable (at the right angle).
However, if you make a tiny movement to angle it the wrong way ....then you're yanked across the sand or water at a high speed. It takes people a while to learn, and I was just getting started. I spent most of my time just standing on the beach trying not to go flying in the air and learning to control one of the kites.
James, however, can do spins, high jumps, you name it. It was remarkable watching these kite surfers.
This is the kite surf capital, the beaches are ideal and the right angle to the wind. Our first day at kite beach it was so crowded that it was a little bit dangerous.
The next day we went to "the mouth" of a local river and it was beautiful! We met James' friend, a professional surfer and kite surfer who lives half the year in the DR.
The next day we went to "the mouth" of a local river and it was beautiful! We met James' friend, a professional surfer and kite surfer who lives half the year in the DR.
We also went to Laguna Dudu to kite, then Playa Grande for a dinner by the beach.
On a low wind day, we went to 27 waterfalls where you jump, slide, or swim through each one which was just as great of an experience as it sounds
Friday I went on my own to Monkey Jungle where you feel the rescued Spider monkeys and they cuddle you all over.
It was a great trip to a beautiful country, and a good 'mini adventure' before my real work would begin in the Emergency Department
It was a great trip to a beautiful country, and a good 'mini adventure' before my real work would begin in the Emergency Department
