Tim’s birthday was earlier this month. Since his 50th last year, I decided we should go away each birthday. This year, we chose Dominica. Not the Dominican Republic, but just as beautiful of an island.
New Years Day
But, before we get into a review of Dominica, let’s start at the beginning of the year. Of course, January 1st, called for the first sunrise of the year. While at the beach that morning, I made my UNresolution for the year. This year, I decided to be consistent. Consistency in necessary in every aspect of life, be it working out, reading, posting. Reaching our goals, no matter how big or small, requires consistency.
Wilderness
The weekend before we were set to leave for Dominica, some friends invited us to their beautiful home in Naples, Florida. It was a great weekend! I got to spend time with friends and got my toddler fix (every once in a while I feel the need to spend time with a small child).
One our outings that weekend was a trail walk at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, managed by the Audubon Society. Since it was a trail, I was hoping it was prepare us for hiking in Dominica (more on that later). But I was wrong! It was super flat. I guess I must’ve forgotten I was still in Florida and not Missouri. Despite the trail being flat, the trail was a ton of fun. We saw and heard some wildlife that I hadn’t seen in a while. It was nice to be away from busy-ness of South Florida for the weekend.
Dominica
While in Dominica, we stayed at the beautiful Jungle Bay Resort in Soufriere on the Southwest side of the island on the Caribbean Sea. It’s a gorgeous cliff-side property overlooking Soufriere Bay. There are several options when staying at the resort. You can just book lodging and pay for meals and activities à la carte. Or, you could purchase an all-inclusive package. Now, this isn’t an all-inclusive package like those of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This is an adventure package. We went with their Signature Adventure Wellness package. Tim chose the diver plan. Of course, I chose the non-diver plan. This included one two-tank dive per day for Tim and one excursion for me. The excursions consisted of hikes or kayaking. There were also day trip options to the more northern parts of Dominica, like Roseau or Portsmouth.
Living at sea level in South Florida, there few, if any, opportunities to go on a proper hike. So when hikes were an option in Dominica, I jumped at the opportunity. The views were breathtaking! My performance, however, was humbling. The elevation showed me how much out of shape I was. Nonetheless, the effort was well worth it.
Kayaking was another activity I enjoyed thoroughly. Even though I am NOT a swimmer, I enjoy kayaking. We took the opportunity to go a sunset kayak cruise. It was one of the most beautiful views I’ve witnessed. The tour began approximately an hour before sunset. The guide led us to the perfect spot to catch the sunset at the perfect angle. Although being out on Soufriere Bay, any spot would’ve been great.
I’m grateful to have kicked off 2023 in such an amazing way. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for me.
