Dominican Republic! Breathe & Sing

I haven't updated in awhile so I thought I would start with my magical trip to the D.R! My Mom gave me the fabulous opportunity to go to the D.R with her in April for an all inclusive trip!
I was a little hesitant at first because I was going to leave Parker behind. But my soul needed major repairing and I absolutely love traveling! I haven't used my passport since Europe so it was definitely time.
I am one of those weird people that love flying. I love every minute and experience of traveling. So we flew to New York and had a 3 hour lay over. Oh my gosh I have been wanting to go to New York since I was 5. I only saw outside the window but it was still cool to say I was there!
We got to the D.R and I was in awe! I have never been to an island before and I was freaking out! The airport was so awesome and they had people dancing and greeting us. It was so fun!
We got to our resort and I thought we died and went to Heaven! It was gorgeous!!! So exotic and tropical! The people treated us like we were gold! The minute we stepped out of the cab they offered us pina colodas. We had to learn fast to say no alcohol haha
My Mom is probably the funnest and funniest traveling buddy! She is a social butterfly and can make friends with anyone. I secretly envy that trait and wish so badly I was like her in that aspect. Everyone loves her and I am so proud to be her daughter.
So while we are checking in, my Mom was of course talking to the guy and some how we found out he played in the world series. It was really cool!
The resort is so big that we had to take a little train to get to our room. We got to out room and it was so pretty and peaceful. It kind of had a zen feeling to it!
We jumped right into our swimsuits and headed for the beach. We were walking distance from the beach. It  was the most gorgeous sight I had ever seen. I still dream about those moments at the beach. We took in every minute of that beach.
Later that day we got dressed and went shopping! We bought souvenirs and had delicious ice cream! We laughed and talked about life while strolling in paradise! By time we got back we were starving but looked like "travel lag". We tried to go to the restaurants but we forgot to set up a reservation and we were a hot mess! Luckily they have fabulous buffets! We had dinner and watched the sun go down. It was the perfect ending!
So that is basically how the first few days went which was perfect for me!! We relaxed,danced, laughed and for the first time in awhile forgot our troubles!
One of my favorite memories we were at the bus stop and this guy was selling a trip to swim with the dolphins! That is on my bucket list and my Mom and I knew that's what we wanted to do, but we had already promised another girl we would buy from her. At first we were hesitant but we thought oh what the heck! So the guy asked us where we were from and we said Utah. He started saying "Oh do you know the mormons"? We laughed and said "we are the mormons!"He said "My sisters my sisters" Turns out he is the the second counselor in his LDS ward and is also a sealer. I got chills! I could not believe that clear down in the D.R I was able to have a spiritual moment. We talked to him for about an hour and could not believe his conversion story. He was an incredible man and I feel so blessed to have had our paths cross!
We bought the tickets and by this time I am absolutely giddy about life. We get lunch and go back and of course hop in our swim suits and head to the beach! Well silly us, we forgot to wear sunscreen! We were burnt like bad! Haha it hurt to move seriously. We got dressed up and headed to dinner! That was one of my favorite things to do with my Mom. Dressing up and going out to eat at the amazing restaurants! The food was always good for the most part.
Another fun thing about this resort is they had live entertainment! We always went to the shows after dinner. We always had a blast!
The day finally came where we were going to swim with the dolphins! We took a bus to Manati Park and for the first time saw the real world of the D.R! It was so interesting to see their culture and the way they live.
We got to the park and shopped and for a bit and then got ready to see the dolphins. My Mom had a wardrobe malfunction while we were getting in the water and we could not stop laughing.
The dolphins swam up to us and it was amazing!!! We were able to grab their fins and they pulled us to the other side of the pool. It was seriously magical! One of my favorite moments in my life!
At the park there was a little zoo and we saw some of the animals. We also watched a little play and dance. It was so fun! It was such a beautiful and perfect day!
The last night we were there, my brother Austin and his wife and her brothercame! We were able to spend dinner with them and celebrate Adri's Mom's birthday! Kris is hilarious and we had so much fun at dinner! When we were at dinner we kept telling the waiter that my Mom, Kris and I did not want alcohol and they just kept teasing us. Side note, that entire trip the guys loved teasing us because we never wanted alcohol. Anyways at the end of dinner the waiter sawould bring us an "herbal drink"We tasted and it had major major alcohol! I kept telling the waiter he was in big trouble haha The rest of the night was an absolute blast!
The next morning there was a bit of sadness that swept our room. We were so sad to leave heaven! We were picked by the train and it started raining. I couldn't help but think it was a cleanse. That everything that I had been going through for the las while was being washed away. It gave me a new found confidence in a second chance to do things differently in life. The beach taught me peace, the people taught me to sing and dance and my Mom taught me to breathe.
I don't think my Mom understands what she did for me that week in April. She made me realize so much and I have a new found admiration for her.
We flew together to Miami and then she had to go to Minnesota for a trade show for her work and I flew back to Slc by myself. We started bawling when we had to separate haha I think we just kind of realized that our trip of a lifetime was over.
It was the most perfect trip and I am so grateful we had the opportunity to rejuvenate our souls and bond together. We have been through a lot this past year and I am so thankful we stuck together through it all!
xoxo