If I could tell every person moving to the Dominican Republic one thing before they got on the plane, it would be this: this is not your country. I do not mean that unkindly. I mean it as the most useful piece of advice I have. The people who take it to heart have a wonderful life here. The people who fight it stay frustrated for years.
Be ready to be a baby again
Come with an open mind and be ready to be a baby again. You are looking for another country for a reason, so be willing to forget a lot of what you know and learn how things work here from scratch. That is genuinely hard if you are an established, accomplished adult, because we are set in our ways. Our muscle memory is built for where we grew up, and this place does not run on those rules.
It took me a good six years to really get it. I spent those years swimming upstream, expecting things to be done the way they were in the United States, until I finally stopped and said, okay, let me just start over and learn how it works here. The day I did that, life got smoother, easier, and a whole lot more fun. When in the Dominican Republic, do as the Dominicans do.
Different is not wrong
Here is the mindset shift that matters most. Things being different here does not mean they are wrong. It does not mean we are right and they are wrong, or the other way around. It just means different. Once you drop the scorecard, the whole experience stops feeling like a fight and starts feeling like an adventure.
And there is so much to learn from. Dominican families stay close and live together for most of their lives. People live in the moment, not stuck in the past or anxious about the future. Elders are respected, kids are adored. Coming from North America, where we so often outsource our parents and our children, that closeness genuinely changed how I see things.
Learn the language
Learn Spanish. I will be honest, it is hard as an older adult, and it is not strictly an obligation, plenty of things you can get by without it. But it will make your life here so much easier, and more than that, it unlocks the culture. And trust me, Dominican culture is a ton of fun. I have thrown myself into it completely, and I have the best time here, a lot of friends, a lot of dancing, a lot of life.
The honest part
None of this means it is all unicorns and rainbows. Once vacation mode switches off and real life kicks in, you are going to hit some hard moments. It will be frustrating sometimes. It will be annoying sometimes. That is not a sign you made a mistake, that is just part of growing. Get ready to grow, and get ready to be a baby again, and the growing pains are worth it.
This is the stuff I wish someone had told me at the start, and it is the stuff I tell every buyer before they commit, because I would rather you move here with your eyes open and love it than move here with a fantasy and struggle. That is the whole point of what I do.
Real talk. No bulto. Thinking about making the move? Message me on WhatsApp at +1 829 252 3417. Even if you are not buying anything from me, I am happy to tell you what life here is really like. I just want people to love it here as much as I do.
Tracy Shayhorn is a real estate agent on the north coast of the Dominican Republic and the founder of Real Talk Realty RD, with The Crest Group Dominicana. She has lived on Kite Beach in Cabarete since 2010, owns property here herself, and runs a kite school and cafe in town, so she walks buyers and sellers through the real process, the good and the bad. Real talk, no bulto. WhatsApp +1 829 252 3417, tracy@realtalkrealtyrd.com.
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