Although I started coming here when I was little girl, there are SO many thing I didn’t know about living in Punta Cana until I was actually here. Anyone you talk to will tell you there are some things different than home, but below are a few things I always tell people when they are asking me “What should I know.”

1. We work hard and play harder

I will never forget once when I was home in Pennsylvania, I ran into someone from high school and her mom at a local Amish market. After spending a moment catching up, the mom says to me “So what are you doing doing there? Just leasuring around at your parent’s house right?”

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone that lives on an island goes to the beach every day, sips on a cocktail out of a pineapple and lives in a bikini. Although most of us wish that was the case, here in Punta Cana people work a lot. Even people who are retired work. I am lucky enough to have a job that allows me to have weekends off, however  many of my friends and people I know aren’t so fortunate. It is very normal to work 6 days of the week with whatever day off your job chooses for you.

With that said, it doesn’t mean that we don’t have fun. The beautiful thing about living on an island is when you finish at 5pm, you still have a little bit of time to go for a quick dip to rinse away the stress from your day in the ocean all with enough time to take cat nap to be ready to go out at night. It isn’t unusual for someone to go out until 2am on a Friday night and have to wake up bright and early on Saturday to make some sales for their job.

We work our butts off, but still balance having that “island life.”

2. Your employer must legally provide you with healthcare

Yes, that’s right you Gringos, you heard that right. By law all employers in the Dominican Republic must pay for your health care, and let me tell you, it’s way better than anything I ever had when I was living in the states. The cherry on the sunday? They also must legally cover you for 3 months after you leave their company. Loose your job? No worries, you at least have health care if you have an emergency.

Don’t plan on working while you’re down here? No need to worry because health insurance is super cheap! For what you pay in a month at home, you can pay less, be covered for the year AND have the best coverage they offer.

3. Sometimes we loose power and water

Although Punta Cana is a tourist area and they do their best to keep up with North American stands, it’s pretty normal to be getting ready for work in the morning and the water shut off while your hair is full of shampoo. This is happening less and less every year, but it still does happen and it’s out of everyone’s control. You just have to sit back and wait till it comes back. Paradise ins’t always Paradise

4. We have a high and low season

Each year this gap is getting smaller and smaller, but you will for sure hear everyone here talk about high and low season. Because we are in a tourist town, we have parts of the year where it’s super full and busy everywhere you go (end of November through mid April, June & July) and then times of the year where it’s literally like a ghost town because even the locals leave and take vacation (May, August through November). Most people here work off of commission, so everyone is busting their butts during the high season so that come low season they aren’t pinching pennies and eating ramen.

We are starting to see less of a gap every year, but if you are looking to move down here, I don’t recommend coming during low season unless you’ve got a job lined up. Take it from me, I came in October and was an unemployed broke beach bum hippie for 3 months. May sound like something you’re into, but when you start to run out of money it’s not so nice anymore.

5. Dominicans drive like maniacs

Literally the only thing that Dominicans do fast is drive.

Here we have Dominican time, which is even slower than island time I think. When people are driving, it’s another story. There are ZERO rules. You will see people driving fast and passing on a curvy road with a beer in their hand.  If you drive like a granny, it’s best you don’t drive here because you will be the one that gets into an accident from being way too careful.

Dominicans do not look where they are going. There is no such thing as looking left and then right before pulling out somewhere, they just do it.

Not only do you have to watch out for cars, SUVs and trucks that may or may not have a hood on their engine, you also have to keep an eye out for moto bikes. If they can weave around traffic they will and they have zero fear. More times than I can count have I almost take the life of a concho driver that has snuck up beside me when I was making a right turn. It’s also pretty common that their lights don’t work at night, so watch out!

6. It’s not impossible to get the luxuries of home

Only like that one kind of hair cream you can’t find here? Want to order nice birthday present for someone? No need to worry, there are abut 101 different currier services here. Although we don’t receive mail here like we do at home, it’s still possible to order items online and have them shipped to you.

The way it works is you order online, it goes to Miami and then from there they send it here on a plane. It clears customs and shortly after is put on a truck and brought to an office here in Punta Cana. Once it arrives, you pay for based on how much it weighs by pound. Depending what you order, it can be quit pricey, but it’s nice to know you can get what you want or need without having to drive two hours to the capital. Most packages arrive here within 2 weeks and most companies even have a way so that you can track your purchases.

7. Dominican Spanish is special

Although you don’t really need to be able to speak Spanish in Punta Cana, even if you do, you may still need to practice your Dominican Spanish if you don’t want to get the Gringo price. Just like every language, depending where you go, different words and slang are used. Here in the Dominican there is no exception.

Most Dominicans that you meet from the Capital speak the spanish you learn in school, however Dominicans who have not been so fortunate to receive a proper education speak so differently that even a native Spanish speaker may not understand. I have often heard as well that there is a saying that Dominicans sound like they have rice in their mouths while they are talking. As you can imagine, a mumble on top of a made up Dominican word can be pretty tricky to figure out.

So my friends, don’t get upset if you come here and think your four years of high school Spanish was going to get you further than it has. You are in a new and different place. Part of the journey is learning new things. Dominicans also know they speak a special kind of Spanish and are always trying to find a way to help you understand if you just can’t quit get it. You’ll figure it out, it just takes some time.

8. There isn’t pressure to be wearing the latest trend

One of my favorite parts about living here is that no one cares where you got your dress, if you have make up on or if you decide you just don’t want to wear a bra because it’s just too darn hot.

Of course, just like anywhere, people always want to feel good about themselves and will dress nicely and paint their faces with makeup, but you really don’t have to here. More often than not people except you for who you are and your actions over what you are wearing and if you hair is frizzy.

You do you you and everyone else will go along with it here, very few judging looks to  follow.

9. People are always dancing

In the supermarket, on the beach, and in their cars, people are always dancing here and it makes you happy. It’s the kind of happiness that is contagious. Like I said, we work a lot, but when we relax, we relax and have a good time. Heck, people are even dancing when they are working!

It’s completely normal to see people dancing here in a parking lot or to the music in their heads on the beach, just because it honestly feels good and I am not sure how much better than that it gets!

10. You are going to meet people from all over the world

Do not come here if you are not open minded. Simply as that. You will meet people who may have different views than you and if you can’t listen to them without telling them they are wrong, this isn’t the place for you.

Just like anyone living as an expat across the globe, you tend to gravitate to people you have things in common with, especially your first language and home country. Here in Punta Cana there are tons of expats. You will likely meet people from all over Europe, Russian, Argentina, Venezuela and a few North Americans. The beautiful thing about this is that you will not only learn about the Dominican living here, but so much more about other countries. Moving here alone and not knowing anyone makes your friends becomes family and along with that family you start to learn their customs and beliefs.

Punta Cana constantly has people coming and going and is very transient. Although you will meet people from all over and it may be hard to say goodbye, the beautiful thing is that you now have a  friend in a new place who you can now go and visit, seeing something new and exciting. This little rock in the middle of the ocean can bring you so many more things than a beautiful tan and bleached hair.

Have questions about moving abroad? Feel free to leave me a comment below! Apart from living in the Dominican, I have also gotten up and moved 3 other times to brand new places where I have not known anyone before I got there.