Moving to the Dominican Republic solo

We bought a house inside of a small gated community last summer- a bit of a fixer upper (no major issues but lots of cosmetic/maintenance projects). It has been a bit difficult, my spanish is intermediate but I quickly realized it wasn't good enough to deal with contractors! I had zero vocabulary for construction/remodeling so thank goodness for google translate!

I stayed for 6 weeks in July/August and it was very challenging- I was tied to the house most days waiting for contractors or "supervising". I didn't meet many people (as opposed to when I vacationed here and met tons of people) so it was a bit lonely!

Back now for the immediate future and going to focus on finding community and connections around where I live- hope to feel more at home then!!

Welcome, well the best tip is when you move here, switch your brain into Dominican mode, a lot things here are way diferent than any other place in the world.

thanks Riva! Lots of things to get used to but I read a lot and spent a good bit of time here so I was ready mentally- just wasn't really prepared for the isolation (mostly due to being tied to the house a lot).  It also was stressful finding help to do the jobs and make sure I was communicating properly- but yes, I signed up for this! I also got sick twice and was on strong antibiotics so wasn't feeling super- anyway, it's all good now!

So  the thread topic is moving here  SOLO.  Lets talk about that.

While it was a lot of years ago that I moved here SOLO,  some of my experience will still apply.

First - its not easy.
Second - its still not easy.......

I do not recommend anyone do what I did. I moved without knowing people. I moved with NO Spanish language at all!   I had no plan. I was just doing it and I did.

What I did right was to  immerse myself in the culture! I lived in a very basic apartment on a very busy street in a barrio!   Boy did I have to learn fast. The neighborhood kids would come sit on the porch with me and teach me Spanish and laugh at me, I laughed right back and taught them English.  We had a lot of fun.

I worked almost from the start.   That helped me immensely to meet people, learn the culture and not feel alone.

This is a culture of family and community and I was drawn to it. As a single female  I was pitied and  taken in by many!   Sad to see a grown woman alone.  I was okay with it, but many here still are not!   

Because of my background I intuitively knew how to stay safe most of the time and my new coworkers taught me the rest!    However they also taught me many many things I did not think I needed to know!  I was soooo wrong.  I am grateful to everyone who reached out to me along the way! 

Being a single female here is not easy, it is a machismo  country and culture!   I do okay though!

Tips - learn Spanish!  First and foremost! 
Absorb as much of the culture as you can.  Try to assimilate!   Enjoy the culture.

TIP - if it seems to good to be true - IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!  Don't believe it!

I am sure I have lots more to add...... 

Lots of good advice here. Denise and I have commented we could not have moved here, or live here, without each other. She is more social than I am, which is somewhat of a requirement here (i.e. "it's who you know"). And I, well, do the necessary "pack mule" stuff (driving, filling LPG bottles, etc.)   
Living here alone would indeed be challenging, but it depends on the individual too.

I am back and forth fairly often though don't technically live here and solo.

I do not think single life is easy anywhere but here culture is by far the most important aspect imo.

I think that success moving here, or anywhere, solo depends on your nature. If you wouldn't dream of moving somewhere in your own country alone, another country isn't going to make it any easier!

Have you vacationed alone? Can you be alone without feeling lonely? Are you outgoing enough to strike up conversations with strangers? Are you ready to adapt to a new language, a new culture, a new climate? If you aren't comfortable with any of those things, then you probably aren't ready to expatriate alone!

I've met many people who moved here solo, mostly to Las Terrenas which has a pretty large expat community. Many were prepared and have done well. Some failed miserably at their attempt to reinvent themselves, thinking that living in "paradise" would magically transform them into laid-back, outgoing, life-of-the-party types and they would quickly be surrounded by newfound friends.

I can tell you for sure that moving here in the midst of a pandemic, however strict or lax the enforcement of rules and regulations, wasn't easy! Thank goodness I had "Rocky" with me. Fortunately, I was able to connect to folks on social media (the Everything Las Terrenas group on FB is extremely active) and through volunteering with a dog rescue and our local library. As much as I love my husband, and love my alone time, I also need some degree of social interaction.

I am considering a move to the north coast of the D.R. next winter. I would be leaving La Romana and venturing alone to a town or city  that has an expat community . That expat community may be social and interactive and would help me adjust to the solo journey I would be on. Can anyone recommend a north coast community that has a large expat group?

I had a spell living solo here for nearly 3 years in Las Terrenas after I parted with my then partner. My experience of living here beforehand helped considerably as did having work in the area and basic Spanish. Added to that, in my opinion, Las Terrenas is a very accommodating place with an expansive, warm community of expats and locals compared to the more touristy Punta Cana/Bavaro area and the rather aggressive, commercial and competative North Coast. These are personal opinions. In LT you have plenty of freedom to go explore, walk the beaches visit the other small towns in Samana and without hassle and feeling very secure. It is quite hard to find such relaxed freedom in DR in resort areas with decent sized expat communities and outside gated communities in my opinion.

steverino  - what is important to you besides expat community? Will help narrow things down.

Options: Costambar, Puerto Plata,  Cofresi,  Sosua,  Cabarete, Cabrera,  Las Terrenas, Samana

Luperon has an expat community but is off the beaten path a little.

Steverino - just curious on why you are considering moving?

This is my fifth winter in La Romana / Casa de Campo. I am feeling the winds of change starting to blow and maybe it's time for me to move to a different part of the island that would also be more affordable. I live in Buena Vista Norte and require monthly passes to access Casa de Campo for my real estate business. As a seasonal contractor who is still working on his Spanish, I do not need to work but I love the business. My friend of 5 years who lives here is from Paris and I sense that things are changing between us. She is the main reason I am in the D.R. and this is not a romantic relationship. I will be exploring the north coast with her in late January, and will be considering the communities noted by Planner and Lennoxnev....

All good reasons to make a change!  Good luck and  keep us updated on your  next adventure!   Maybe start a thread and we can all follow your story!

I might only be 44 but I discovered after traveling around the island for a decade and a half a month here a month there that cabarete on the North Coast is the most tranquil and expat friendly community around. But I think everyone's opinion is different based on their lifestyle. I enjoy walking going to the beach eating out and meeting local so it's a catch 22 I guess. But the expat community here is probably one of the strongest and most open communities I've ever met. They treat you like family and you're able to learn so much from their home countries from them. Safety aspect cabarete is above the bar, and the cost is pretty reasonable considering it it's one of the kite boarding capitals of the world

Phannigan, can you recommend affordablle food and lodging in Cabarete as well any expat contact people?

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Realityhomes you can't come on and self promote in your first post. 

You are welcome to post a classified in the appropriate section.

Phannigan - great post, thanks for sharing your experience!

Greetings, we can help you move to the Dominican Republic.

Again I am going to recommend you post a classified  please!

realityhomesdr wrote:

Greetings, we can help you move to the Dominican Republic.

I think you're missing the point of this post in an effort to drum up business! This post is not focused on the pure logistics of moving here, it's about connecting with the community, the challenges of being a solo expat, and the experiences of those who have been down this path.

As Planner suggests, buy a classified ad on the site if you are looking for business.

why is it so hard for some people to keep community information and assistance to eachother from making a business via this forum geee!!

It’s interesting that I ran across this particular topic this afternoon because I am a single female in the process of moving to the Dominican Republic the end of next month, Jan 2022. My house will be sold on the 30th of Dec and I am ready for this new chapter in my life. I do have three friends that currently reside in the Dominican Republic so I won’t be totally alone in a new country. The thing is, I am a military veteran and I am used to relocating and having to adapt to different cultures and environments so I am not really stressing over that aspect. I plan to move to a gated community after I find the house I want and I have seen a couple that offer amenities to include planning social events for the residents. I have moved around the United States going to places where I didn’t know anyone and had to start over so I look at this as a new adventure. I will have my pit bull with me so I am looking forward to meeting new people, learning the traditions and DR culture and enjoying the rest of my life in a beautiful new setting.

You have a great attitude and that is half the battle honey.

Steve, my wife and I bought a place in Cabarete for all the reasons above.  DM me and I’ll send you some contacts to some rental and RE people we know here.

That is awesome news, it seems like you are excited, I know that you will love living in the Dominican Republic if you like surfing and beautiful sunsets on the beach and  I would recommend the Puerto Plata, Cabarete, or Sosua area.

I can relate to your frequent relocations in the past.  I was a military family child and was in the Navy: had 23 addresses before I was 21. You can rent in different areas and test the waters.  There are Veteran clinics mentioned in other threads in this forum. So, the areas where those are may be of interest.

We have rented a home in Cabarete and love it.  But, in taking road trips to other areas we have fallen in love with a couple areas.  The Samaná region, mountains near Jarabacoa, and  Cabrera are a few examples of areas that are not saturated with ex pats and are beautiful. Explore before settling..