Monday, February 13, 2012

Day 258: Never Have I Ever... Felt Stressed Around Palm Trees

Whenever I see palm trees, I know I'm on vacation. They're a symbol of relaxation and fun for me.

These are the palm trees I snapped on one of the first days in the (sometimes very windy) Dominican Republican.

Never have I ever been to the Dominican Republic. My first impression of the country was at the airport - which was essentially a bamboo hut with large fans attempting to act as air conditioners as the masses of people waited in line after line for tourist passes and to get through security and customs.

After that headache, we piled into a van to get to the resort. On the way we passed rusty lean-tos, wooden shacks, and places with debris piled up everywhere where people were hanging out on plastic lawn chairs. And then we passed a group of maids walking up the long road to the five-star resort we were staying at for a week.

The resort was stunning, but such a stark contrast to the rest of the country. It was easy to forget about the poverty outside the gates of the resort with all the beauty inside, but it just didn't change the fact that it was still there. While I felt horrible when I thought about it, it also reminded me to feel grateful for what I do have. I am blessed, and I can't forget that.


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