The word “culture” doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the history Santa Domingo carries. The powerfully spiced foods, the unabashidly boisterous music, and saturated colors that drip off the scenery nearly over stimulated my senses! I found that if I soaked it in with my eyes closed, it would burn itself into my memory. Subtlety is not a concept practiced here.

After spending an amazing week here on vacation making friends and enjoying a beachfront cabana, I returned less than a month later for 10 more days. Dining with friends, dancing with strangers, and decompressing made for an amazing holiday season. With temperatures below freezing at home, I was happily putting ointment on my new sunburn.