After several volatile, but very profitable months of trading, I decided it was time for another trip. The market has been on fire and in the past weeks has rallied back up a significant amount. A few months ago it looked like the world was about to end (for long-term investors) and now all of a sudden the market is only 3% off of its all-time high! While I believe we may be due for a small pause, especially for oil which has rallied from 26.00 all the way back to $42.00 a barrel, there is a good chance the stock market sees new all-time highs in the coming months. Either way I only really care about volatility and all of this geopolitical news, combined with the fear of Donald Trump being elected for our next president, is guaranteed to keep this market supercharged.
In November 2015 I visited the Philippines and Japan, but this time I chose the Dominican Republic. Unlike most people that don’t have the luxury of traveling the world, trading gives me a lot more freedom so I try to take a trip at least every few months. I work hard and I feel there is no reason why everyone shouldn’t enjoy their life while they are younger. Unlike most people that wait until age 65 when they retire or don’t save and have to work until they die, I am living my life the way I want to.
The Dominican Republic is just a 4-hour flight from the East Coast of the U.S. where I live so it was very easy to get to. I flew a premium economy because although 4 hours isn’t a long flight, the fact is when you work hard you owe yourself a little luxury from time to time.
The Dominican Republic has beautiful beaches, delicious food, and many attractions like water sports, hiking, golf, etc. While it’s not as cheap as the Philippines or Thailand where you can eat a delicious meal for a dollar, it still is a lot cheaper than the US. I went to the northern part of the country known as Puerto Plata (POP) and stayed in a place called Cabarete. This is a resort town that is famous in the Caribbean for Kite Surfing and to a lesser extent surfing. It’s made up of a small town with several lively bars and restaurants set up directly on the beach. It’s certainly is a party town and I had a great time meeting people.
Unlike when I went to Asia, I traveled with a friend this time around. I don’t mind traveling alone because it’s easy to meet people, but it’s nice to travel with others. When I travel I like to mingle with others and try to get to know the culture a little. I am not interested in staying at all-inclusive places where you never leave the resort although if this is your thing there certainly are quite a few in the Dominican Republic.
For the most part, I felt fairly safe although the people are a bit pushy there about buying their goods and services. My friend also got pickpocketed which certainly wasn’t too pleasant. While most people speak some English it certainly helps if you know some Spanish. I don’t know too much but my friend knew a decent amount which made it easier to communicate. I’ve found that people in other countries usually like it when you try to speak their language even if just for a few words and the DR was no different.
I prefer to eat at local restaurants and generally avoid international food, especially chain restaurants. Of course, there is a greater chance of getting sick but I enjoy my trips much more when I can sample the local food. The only problem with this is that every time I get back home I no longer want to eat that specific type of food anymore in the US because it never tastes as good.
The Dominican Republic was okay. Unfortunately, while I was there I got a rash on my arm which spread to other parts of my body. This was a bit scary given the fact that the Zika Virus has been in the news so much but fortunately, I am okay now. I don’t know if I would go back since there are many more places I would like to visit, but it was certainly an interesting place to visit.
Check out the photo’s below…
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