Although our dance moves will certainly be put to the test as we celebrate Carnaval and Dominican Independence next week it was Erin's birthday and that was all the reason we needed to party!
A group of friends treated Erin to a surprise dinner at a local Curacao ranch. All they serve is chicken and beef, and it is DELICIOUS. It was a great night with friends, and Equus (the ranch) became one of our favorite restaurants on the island (too bad it is only open 1 night a week).
Coach K and the ISC girls basketball team!!! Go Lady Sharks! Both of us have enjoyed the beginnings of our seasons in basketball and soccer. We haven't had much time to think about exploring the Dominican between our practice and game schedule since we came back to school.
Erin spent a fun-filled long weekend with her maid of honor, Erin Pryor, in Aruba. Pryor came down for a friend's wedding on the island and Erin popped over to be her date. While Erin has taken two trips off the island in the last month, Dan can't wait for his first trip off the island since July!
We also got a little taste of America while we watched the Superbowl with some friends.
It wasn't until yesterday, when we assembled our camping gear, got our passports out, and began making a packing list that we really began to anticipate this upcoming adventure. This trip to the Dominican will mark the 10th country besides the U.S. that we've traveled to together. It's only 1 week, but we're planning on making the most out of it.
Maybe we'll learn a little merengue, and we'll certainly get to practice our spanish. We're both excited to do some actual mountain climbing - we'll be standing on "The Roof of the Caribbean" on Wednesday morning! We're also looking forward to spotting some humpback whales, and spending our days on the gorgeous secluded beaches of the northeast Dominican Republic.
More than anything else I'm looking forward to the time away from the everyday "busyness" of our lives. We so easily become wrapped up in the world we live in: teaching, coaching, the apartment, grocery shopping, and life here in Curacao. The challenges that come with novel experiences are refreshing. In fact, we need them to inspire us - to help us transform our current world into something even greater. We certainly have these challenges in our everyday life - that is why we love our lives so much, but there is something about being somewhere you've never been before that wakes up a part of you that you're not always aware of. When you're traveling you're always awake, always alert, always observing - everything needs to be absorbed and remembered and cherished. We hope you travel with us - check the blog next week for updates from the Dominican, and a fresh outlook on life.
