Part 1.a: The Big Leap

On August 17th, 2020, I hopped on a plane to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The plan was to spend one month in Sosua, a little beach town on the north coast. I had no knowledge of it, other than there was no rainy season (so I was promised good weather) and there was a history of Jewish immigration, which interested me.

When I landed on the island, the first thing I noticed was the stifling heat. The second thing I noticed were the beautiful colors of all of the buildings on the short drive to Sosua. Everything around me looked entirely different than what I was used to. It was an absolute assault on my senses.

I thought I was going to be totally freaked out and homesick, but my brain was way too stimulated by everything around me for that.

Being on an island and living within walking distance from the most beautiful beaches I'd ever seen was a dream come true. I had nothing to do and nowhere to be, so I spent all of my time in the clear blue water.

I met people, and even went through a little party phase, spending my nights at beach clubs dancing to techno music and riding motorcycles without a helmet back home. In just a month, I lived out my wild-child years that I had missed out on.

My skin was tan, my hair was salty, and I had never been happier. It was if I had just woken up to the fact that I was in charge of my life and could make all decisions - I could even leave the country and start all over.

I loved the food - yuca, rice, and fried chicken - and I've never seen such beautiful sunsets so consistently. The ocean water was the perfect temperature, and the street dogs were adorable There were many expats there who spoke English, and the locals were friendly.

It all felt like a dream, and certainly like a vacation. My mom came to visit and stayed for a week, and we had the time of our lives in Casa Marina, an excellent waterfront all-inclusive resort.

At that time, I was planning on going to Mexico City for three months after my one month stay in Sosua. I was heartbroken when I thought about leaving, but I had already made the plans and I decided that I needed to stick to them.

On September 15th, I packed my bags and left the beautiful island town that had stolen my heart to head to the big expanse of Mexico City. What I didn't know at the time was that this wasn't a goodbye to Sosua - just a 'see you later.'