Around this time two years ago, my Squad Dolls and I were excited to explore the beautiful Caribbean island country of the Dominican Republic. Looking at what’s going on now, I’m so glad that we were able to go without the fear of being drugged or the trip canceled because of the pandemic. It’s amazing how the environment can change so quickly! A month or so before leaving for DR, I asked my Bonus Daughter (a neutral person) to pull names out of a hat while I was on one of the conference calls with my Bridesmaids. The name pull would determine room assignments. From the very beginning, I wanted my Bridesmaids to get to know each other for themselves since they would be spending a lot of time together. I think my plan worked and the ladies each appreciated learning more about their roomie. I love getting people out of their comfort zones 😂. Now let’s dig into what my bachelorette week looked like. We arrived in style with our matching T-shirts, which were designed by Bre. She truly made my vision come to life! Her idea to wear the shirts with some comfy pants were right on time for our early flight! Kate, our personal planner, put together a great week of dinners, excursions, a pajama party and more. She really did a great job with our agenda, checking in with our exclusive hotel and the time schedule for our excursions. Did I mentioned that Kate also planned our conference calls and agenda months in advance before our trip?!?! We were so lucky to have a planner like Kate in our Squad. We arrived at our beautiful resort and immediately went to the pool after finding our rooms and decompressing. We couldn’t wait to get to out to the swim up bar to toast to a great week to come in DR.

[Day 1] was our relaxation day in the pool because of our early flight that morning. We quickly learned that Mamajuana was the popular drink of the island. They said it made the man go all night long 😳. We had several cups of Mamajuana while basking in the sun. It was the perfect start to our getaway.

[Day 2] entailed a buggy ride to visit the most beautiful ecological reserve in the Caribbean, Ojos Indígenas, where you could swim in the lagoon’s crystal-clear waters. The ladies were brave enough to swim in the lagoon and I stayed on the stairs sparing my life for my Groom lol. The site-seeing was amazing. Then, we headed to Playa Blanca to visit a spectacular beach.

[Day 3] began at the pool after having an amazing breakfast. I think this was the first time that I’d been at an all exclusive resort and I was in love. The fruit in DR was so fresh and you had so many options for breakfast. I loved eating and fellowshipping with these ladies because we were able to talk about so much and learn more about each other. Most of us were able to relax and be vulnerable when it was needed most. That’s what sisterhood should be all about. If you don’t have that, you don’t have a true friendship/relationship. It’s also ok to let go of those friendships that aren’t mutually beneficial. Ok, enough of me getting deep lol. We quickly became the life and party of the pool because we brought our own music and a good time along with us. The bartenders and servers remembered our names 😂. We were in heaven and happy to be soaking in more Vitamin D. There was no other place we would rather be.

After much needed relaxation at the pool, we went back to our rooms and got glammed up for dinner at El Rodizzio, Brazilian Cuisine. I asked the ladies to wear something black, causal or elegant (colors and dress codes were sent out months in advance for shopping purposes). Dinner was so good and the wine was the perfect blend with our food. After dinner, the ladies got comfy in their pajamas and came to Kate and I’s room for Game Night. Heather led the charge with decorating the room. Her vision when it comes to decor has always been amazing. Whenever we buy a house, she’s gonna be one of my interior designers lol. Willisa was tasked with the games for pajama Game Night. She had secretly reached out to Chris (my then fiancé) to ask questions about him. Let’s just say most of my answers were WRONG (smh), but I gave it an honest effort. I learned so many little details about his past that night as well. Game Night hands down was a BLAST and the free bottle of champagne from the lady at the front desk made my night. After the games, I had a little gift for them. I gave my dolls their own personalized swimsuits (that read #SquadDolls) and a pair of cute flip flops to complete the fit for our Day 5 adventure coming up. This time away from the worries of the world was so needed.

[Day 4] was SPA and pool day. I was skeptical at first about getting a massage there since it wasn’t my “got to place,” but glad I just went with the flow. I still remember how amazing the massage felt and how much my body needed it. They really took their time and focused on every inch of my body. I’m so glad that we penciled in some time for a little self care.

[Day 5] went down in the Squad Dolls history book. So many things about that day went so wrong but we still handled it with grace and had a BALL. I’m sure my Dolls are already giggling thinking about this day. This day started with our ritual breakfast, featuring venting and fellowship. We wanted to make sure we indulged in eating what we could, because we would need it to absorb all of the libations that were about to be consumed 🤣. Day 5 was the Sailing Cruises Happy Hour! The festivities started that afternoon by sailing to the colorful coral reef where we got to snorkel with hundreds of tropical fish. Of course, we had an abundant amount of Mamajuana to get our hips moving so that we would be ready to dance Merengue and Bachata. The only wrong thing that I will reveal about this day was the down pouring of rain. As soon as we were enjoying the music and happy drinks, the sky began to open up and cry on us heavy. We were soaked with nowhere to run for proper cover because we were on a small sailing bait. We all just looked at each other and began to laugh until tears began to fall. We ended the day relaxing at a floating bar. A moment that could have ruined our happy hour, made it memorable and laughable for years to comes. We’re finally to the last day before departure.

[Day 6] was a beach/pool day with our final dinner. We needed a day to unwind and exhale from the fun filled week. The final dinner was a little emotional because the reality hit that I was going to be a wife very soon. I couldn’t think of a better way for the Future Mrs. R to celebrate her last single days. The ladies were told to wear something blush, casual and elegant. We enjoyed our intimate dinner paired with the perfect beverage of choice. We toasted to my marriage and that we hoped it would be filled with happiness, blessings, love, peace and never-ending joy. I will never forget our time together and the bond that we made in DR. We vowed to continue taking trips together and making memories. I look forward to our next grand escape. I frequently look at pictures and think about the memories. Thank you Sami for capturing so many breathtaking moments during our stay. She literally has a degree in photography, so I knew she’d do a perfect job just like she did. Thank you to all of my Squad Dolls for making my bachelorette trip one for the books.

Writer: Mrs. Robinson
Editor: Mr. Robinson