At least once a year, my family and I go to the Dominican Republic to visit family. As we’ve gotten older weve started to spend half the time with family and the other half at a resort.

I always look forward to these trips, not just to see family or because I want the vacation– even though I do, but more to remind myself of where I came from and remind myself that I should be fortunate of what I have. I go and visit a lot of places where running water and power is still rare.

On the positive(?) I also get to see how my little island home is slowly, but surely, becoming a part of the new world. I’ve seen pizza huts and KFCs — I’ve even seen an IKEA! (WHAT?!) It’s wonderful to see the progress that my little home has made but also great to see it hold onto its traditions.

I posted a picture of a man and his son running a Chicharon stand. Chicharon is heavily seasoned pork fried and served with lemon. Guys, its delicious. It’s so flipping delicious. It was the first thing we hit when I got in. It was literally a stand on the side of the road with a guy with a big machete cutting up cooked meat on some palm leaves. You keep the bugs around by burning wood.

Yeah, food inspectors would have a field day but holy shit would they reconsider once they eat this food. 😀

Swung by the family plot and ate a crap load of coconuts filled with rum.

Hope you enjoy some pics of my day yesterday.

I swung by the Monument to the Dominican Republic. It has famous Dominicans throughout history.

Not gonna lie, I didn’t take many. I was so sleepy I pretty much passed out at 7pm after a dinner of warm milk and bread. 🙂