Safe Travel to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Friday, August 7, 2015

  Safe Travel to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Well first off us Alleghany folk (minus Carter since her passport came later-she’s here now, don’t worry) met the Shenandoah people reaallyyy early in the morning, I think 1:30 Friday morning. We really didn’t get to know each other until that night. But we were off to Dulles right after we loaded all of our luggage. We stopped to get some early morning nourishment before we arrived at the airport since we wouldn’t have another meal until we reached Atlanta. Baggage check-in and everything went well, considering we didn’t have to wait long since it’s like 6:00 in the morning. 

Well I think I’m alone on this one, but the flight from Dulles to Atlanta was my very first time on an airplane. I was super nervous, but the ride went very smoothly. And we got cookies. We arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, around 8:00 a.m. The airport was huge and had many different places to eat. We hung around near where we would be boarding our next flight for a couple hours, relaxing, sleeping, checking social media and all that jazz. Security was a little hectic here, but what’s an international trip without some controlled, minor chaos. We boarded the next plane with no problems and were off to Punta Cana!

The scenery from the windows was absolutely breathtaking. The clouds were huge and spectacular, looking just like you would expect them to look from such a perspective. As we approached the DR, you could see the coast and the landscape which was awesome! Boy are we blessed with such technology to be able to fly over the Earth, taking in all of its natural beauty.

As we got off of our plane and entered the airport, we were led as a VIP group the whole way through and got out much faster than all the rest of the travelers. We were taken to the center where we would be hosting the day camp at this coming week and dropped off all of the luggage that contained school and day camp supplies.

We were then taken to our resort, which is truly a resort if I ever saw one. The whole lobby is open, beautifully designed, and there’s a stone walkway that leads straight out to a huge pool with a view of and access to the Caribbean Sea! B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.  The water is so blue and clear and there’s no mountains so the sky looks so vast and open. The clouds are typically very big here, I’ve noticed. Our rooms are amazing and everything is so well planned out. They are perfect. We enjoyed some down time for the rest of the evening which was very relaxing and spent in many different ways, including pool time, walks on the beach, and naps. We had dinner at the center which included chicken, fries, pasta, and some veggies. Very good meal. We sat around and got to know each other while we played card games and ate.

During reflection time, everyone shared their first impressions of the DR. I have found it very refreshing and family like here as everyone you pass speaks to you and smiles. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the hotel and the spectacular scenery. Everything around here seems to have color. It’s all so vibrant and energetic. I am totally loving Punta Cana and am excited to spend more time with the kids here and host the day camp. Looking forward to all the new experiences to come!

-Michaela Miller

Alleghany County