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Dominican Republic Beach

How I Forgot Our Anniversary (Again) and Ended Up in the Dominican Republic

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Part 1 of the “Oops We’re Leaving the Country” Series

Let me start with a confession that will shock absolutely no one who knows me: I forgot our wedding anniversary. Again.

I used to be better at this whole “remembering important dates” thing, I swear. But somewhere between raising five kids, juggling life, and general adulting chaos, my brain apparently decided that anniversary dates were optional information. Like remembering where I put my keys or why I walked into a room.

So there I was, living my best oblivious life, when my husband walks through the door on a Sunday evening with that look. You know the one—the “I have an idea and you’re either going to love it or think I’ve lost my mind” look.

“I’ve been thinking,” he says, “we should go somewhere Tuesday when I get off work.”

Cue my immediate panic response disguised as casual questioning: “Oh ok, you mean THIS Tuesday? Like in two days? Why? Where are you thinking?”

Because nothing says “I’m a prepared and organized wife” quite like rapid-fire interrogation when your spouse suggests travel plans as you are trying to remember what day of the week it actually is.

“Yeah, in two days. For our anniversary. Did you forget again?”

*Insert nervous laughter here.* “Oops.”

Heads up: This post includes affiliate links. That means if you buy something I recommend, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). I only share what I’d actually use—or already do.

The Great Last-Minute Trip Planning Spiral

Now, my husband, bless his spontaneous heart, had already been doing some preliminary research. His suggestions? Helen, Georgia (because it reminds him of Germany from our military days) or… somewhere with cheap flights.

That’s when my brain kicked into overdrive and remembered our Caesar’s Rewards benefits. “What about our free trip to Atlantis?” I asked, already knowing the answer would crush my dreams.

Nope. We hadn’t tier-matched yet this year. Of course we hadn’t.

What followed was 24 hours of the most intensive travel research I’ve ever conducted. And let me tell you, last-minute flights are about as budget-friendly as shopping at Whole Foods when you’re broke. But I was determined. It was early April, I was done with cold weather, and I needed a beach. NEEDED.

Hilton Head kept popping up as an option—it’s one of my husband’s favorites—but the thought of a 6-8 hour drive anywhere made both of us want to crawl back into bed and pretend anniversaries didn’t exist.

So, flights it was.

Down the Rabbit Hole We Go

Florida seemed like the obvious choice. Allegiant had the cheapest flights, and while they were still more expensive than if we’d planned ahead like responsible adults, they were doable. But here’s the thing about having traveled extensively in Florida: we’d already hit Orlando, Daytona, and Tampa. The Gulf Coast was off-limits because we had family plans there later in the year (long story involving my mother’s ashes and a family cemetery—definitely not anniversary vibes).

That left south of Tampa and the Keys. I started calculating: flights, food, hotel or Airbnb, rental car… we were looking at about $2,500 for four days and three nights. And if we chose the Keys, we’d have to fly into Fort Lauderdale or Miami and drive another few hours, which would eat into our already limited time.

I even looked into the ferry. Because apparently, I had completely lost my mind and thought a ferry schedule would somehow magically align with our spontaneous plans.

Then I discovered Google Explore, and friends, this is where things got interesting.

Enter the Caribbean (Plot Twist!)

You can put in your departure city and dates, or—and here’s where it gets dangerous—you can put in flexible dates and pull up a MAP that shows flight options and prices. It’s like travel porn for the chronically indecisive.

The Caribbean had some surprisingly decent prices. Now, let me be clear: the Caribbean wasn’t exactly high on our travel bucket list. I’d been to St. Maarten after high school graduation, my husband had never been, and neither of us had ever been on a cruise (yes, I looked at those too, because desperation makes you consider things you normally wouldn’t).

Cruises just don’t sound fun to us. The Caribbean felt cliché. We usually want exotic, off-the-beaten-path adventures. But after a rough four to five months of life throwing curveballs, what I really wanted was simple: relaxing, beach, no worries, minimal sightseeing. Just a vacation in the traditional sense.

That’s when I stumbled upon cheapcaribbean.com (not a sponsor but wouldn’t be mad if they were). All-inclusive options were suddenly on the table.

The Third-Party Booking Site Betrayal

Now, I need to pause here and explain something about myself: I am the type of person who avoids third-party booking sites like they’re trying to steal my firstborn. I research extensively, find it cheaper elsewhere, and book direct. It’s practically a religion.

But desperation makes hypocrites of us all.

I took my findings from the Caribbean site and ran them through Google to see if I could find better deals elsewhere. And wouldn’t you know it—Expedia, of all places, was the clear winner. Expedia! The site I’d been actively avoiding for years!

What I found was a trip to Palladium’s TRS Turquesa Hotel – Adults Only – All Inclusive Resort in the Dominican Republic.

The Palladium Plot Twist

Here’s where my husband’s random job knowledge became incredibly relevant: he sells timeshares and is familiar with the Palladium brand. So when he walked through the door Monday evening and I presented him with three options—Tampa, Key West, and Dominican Republic—and he learned the DR option was at a Palladium resort, his reaction was immediate.

“That’s a luxury resort,” he said, and I could practically see the stars in his eyes.

The DR trip was $500 cheaper than our other options AND included flights, food, alcohol, and accommodation. Sometimes the universe just hands you exactly what you need.

Dominican Republic Itinerary

The 12-Hour Booking Window

We booked at 5:30 PM. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 5:45 AM the next morning. Twelve hours. TWELVE HOURS.

That’s when we realized we should probably mention to our kids that we were, you know, leaving the country.

We have five kids—all young adults except our 17-year-old. The family group chat conversation went something like this:

Us: “Hey kids, we’re leaving in the morning for a few days for our anniversary.”

Kids: “Uh ok, where are you going now?”

Us: “Just a quick trip to the Dominican.”

Kids: “Only you guys do this. Why are we not surprised? You’re just leaving the country like it’s no big deal. LMAO.”

And honestly? They had a point. Our kids have traveled enough with us to know that spontaneous getaways are just how we roll. The eye-rolling and head-shaking were practically audible through the text messages.

(And before anyone gets concerned about our 17-year-old: his 21-year-old sister lives at home, his oldest sister lives in town, grandparents and aunt/uncle are five minutes away, and he’s an A-student who works, is captain of his soccer team, and is taking flying lessons for his pilot’s license. The kid is more responsible than most adults I know.)

The Moral of the Story (So Far)

Sometimes the best trips happen when you have absolutely no plan, twelve hours to execute, and a spouse who’s willing to go along with your slightly unhinged travel research spiral.

Did we end up in the Dominican Republic because it was our dream destination? Absolutely not. Did we end up there because sometimes life hands you exactly what you need when you’re not overthinking it? Absolutely yes.

Stay tuned for the next installment where I’ll tell you about our actual experience at TRS Turquesa, including whether a premium all-inclusive resort can cure anniversary-forgetting guilt (spoiler alert: it helps), and why sometimes the most cliché travel choices end up being exactly what your soul needs.

Because if you’re going to forget your anniversary and book an international trip with twelve hours’ notice, you might as well do it right.

Next up in this series: “What Happens When You Actually Show Up to Your Spontaneous Dominican Republic Trip” and “All-Inclusive Resorts: Worth the Hype or Just Expensive Buffets?”

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