Punta Cana 2015

Vacation came at just the right time. Things got crazy at work for me and Joe's busiest season is coming up in the Fall. We haven't been on a true vacation in 3 years, so this one was much needed. It was the first time I was away from Rocco overnight, so I had a bit of anxiety leading up to our 4 night trip, but it was definitely good for all of us in the end.

Joe had mentioned a few months ago that one of the things he really wanted was some time away with just the two of us. We started researching locations, resorts, and flights and long story short...we eventually stumbled across and Apple Vacations Square Deal that seemed like a good fit. Neither of us are very spontaneous, but both of us love a good deal, so we figured why not. We booked a 6 Golden Apple Adults Only Square Deal. We knew our resort would be one of 3 that met those criteria and were told we would receive a phone call the day before we left letting us know which resort was chosen for us.

I am terrible at waiting so I definitely tried cheating the system by emailing and calling the 3 resorts ahead of time to "confirm" our reservations so I could figure out which one we were booked at...but no such luck. Not a single one would confirm. We eventually got the call Friday afternoon and were told we would be staying at the Breathless Resort in Punta Cana. This was our last "choice" of the 3 we could have been placed at, but it still had a good rating and pina coladas on the beach in the sun taste the same anywhere, right?

Our flight out was on a Saturday morning at 6a.m. which meant we had to leave the house by 5a.m. We did our best to be quiet since I really didn't want to wake Rocco before we left. No matter how much tiptoeing and whispering we did, he still woke up 10 minutes before Joe's dad arrived to pick us up. Hearing him call "mama!" from his crib at 4:45a.m. ended up being a blessing in disguise. Later that day during all our travel I thought back to the morning and was so happy I got some snuggles and kisses before we left.

After a long morning of 2 flights and a van transfer to the resort, we finally made it! Joe worked his magic at check-in, striking us a deal with upgrades and an ocean view at a way cheaper price than if we would have booked it that way online. The room was nice, but so humid! We read a great tip on trip advisor about sticking a coaster in the air conditioning key slot to keep it running while we were out of our room (it only runs if your room key is in the slot) and that was definitely the best advice we read.

 Our upgrade included access to a private lounge so we hit that up as soon as we got our things settled in our room.

The view from our room was beautiful.

Nothing better than hearing the waves roll in as I drank my coffee on the balcony in the mornings.

 We had our own private cabana on the beach every morning.

 One thing I loved doing before having Rocco, but haven't figured out how to fit it into the day since, is reading. It was so nice to just relax and read for hours on the beach or by the pool. Joe would put in his ear buds and listen to podcasts or music and I would just sit and read. It was so relaxing and a much needed mental break from life.

 I honestly can't remember the last time I did a shot. Years maybe? This stuff was disgusting but all the rage in Punta Cana so we figured we would give it a try.

 Sadly, some of the food didn't taste quite as good as it looked, but it was still fun to check out all the different restaurants and try as many meals as we could.

Anyone who knows me, knows how deep my love runs for dessert!

 This time away just the two of us was much needed. Rocco has been our whole world these last 21 months and he always will be, but it was nice to just focus on us for a few days.

We sure will miss this view!

 

A side note on leaving Rocco:

I've suffered from anxiety for years so when the familiar but unwelcome symptoms started creeping up on me at work and at night, I knew I must be more anxious than I realized about leaving Rocco for so many days/nights.

The great thing about kids though is that they are resilient and can adapt so quickly. While we were away he slept well, ate well, and had great days at daycare. He didn't even bite anyone while we were away! And just as quickly as he adapted to us being away, he was able to get right back into the swing of things with us when we got back.

Much Love,

B.