When I say I pieced this upcoming mini vacation together, I really did. Bit by bit.

My last trip to the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 was in August 2016.  I was significantly blessed to accompany a friend on her trip by an impromptu invite!  She told me, girl you done prayed my husband out of this trip!  Hehehe Let’s  Go!!!!

I’m so grateful for the friends I have in my circle of life.

We spent seven whole days in Bavaro, experiencing the resort life, but because I had been to the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 five trips prior, I kinda knew my way around the local areas and wanted her to explore the same beauty of this country.

My slice of paradise.  Punta Cana ~ Paridisus ~ Macoa Beach ~ Tortuga Bay ~ Six Senses Spa

Thank you Jesus!

Oh how I miss that place. In January 2017, I was planning to go back to the DR just because I have developed a soft love for the culture and the mystery that takes place during each visit.  I started looking at flights for February and what I discovered were long layovers, flying out of inconvenient airports.

I have my own preference of airports and airline carriers I like to use. I try to make it as simple and accessible as possible. But I couldn’t find anything. Therefore I was forced to moved my trip out further into a later date.

I prayed about it. Like Lord, how can I work this out?  When? How?  Maybe I shouldn’t go.  But I didn’t give up. I kept searching.

I used a few great apps such as Hopper to predict airline price changes and searched Southwest for their Wanna get Away fares! Those are the best!

But I got lucky!  Or maybe I am just blessed! This is a very rare thing to find an AA flight out of PUJ ✈️ HOU for only 12.5K miles!  👀 The cost to book this flight? $80.00! Sold!!!

But wait girl!  (I’m talking to my inner self!) You know you just booked a return flight to HOU right!  You have not even booked your departure silly! Yeah, I know!  Hehehehe

I knew I didn’t want to stay on the resort, so I began to search for exotic, but cheap room accommodations with another favorite app, AirBnB.  My desire is to be on the beach. I kept waiting, watching, searching and waiting. I was determined to get it done.

This trendy app lets you choose the entire house or a private room; you can filter your price range and it also has many other features to help you search, but I only used two.  I need my own space, entire house, thank you and on the beach.  I’m kinda private. Lol

My inner me said, use your miles for your room!  I said what?  No!  I use my miles to fly, not using them for my room!  No.

I began to search rooms through the AADVANTAGE website, and low and behold they were having a sale!  I said, lookie lookie! I found a two night stay on the beach in Los Corales for only 21K miles!  My cost?  $0.00!

This place renovated in November 2016, should be equivalent to my heart’s desire.

So now that you have a flight back to HOU, and your room is booked, how are you going to get there girlie?  (My inner me)

Easy, Southwest has flights out to PUJ all the time for only $238!  No problem!  I’ll just book it soon!

I was reading someone’s blog on travel, I can’t remember his name, but he suggested another great app called Skyscanner!  Of course I downloaded it to find out how beneficial it could be to finish this mini vacation!  Type in flights from HOU ✈️ PUJ….

NO!!!!! This can’t be true!  A one way flight for $168?  No way!  That’s cheaper than Southwest and SW usually have the best fares!

This sounds like Skyscammer!  Lol 😆

Let’s see what my Mezi app says!

Hi Mezi, can you find me a one way flight from HOU ✈️ PUJ?  …………

Yes, we found you a one way flight for $164.

SOLD!!!!!

Thus far I booked both flights for under $250!  My room accommodations were no charge because I used my AADVANTAGE miles!  Whew!!!

Now, I only have one small thing on my wishlist!  I need room accommodations for two more nights!

(Y’all know this blog is too long!)

Last but not least, I found this Sexy Villa in Cap Cana, Punta Cana. Very close to the airport because I have an early flight out of PUJ!  Remember I had a few places with Air BnB that I was watching in my wishlist but most of them had large deposits!  😩 Such as $250 – $300 deposits!  I’m thinking oh no!  I can’t have my funds tied up in a deposit Lord!  I need to eat every two hours!

So I waited and watched and waited and watched…. and I decided to refine my search by clearing out all my filters in the app and just starting over fresh.  My search preferences, very simple…

1. Entire home (2 nights)
2. Under $150/night

Glory! Found this nice villa with no deposit!

$224.00!

Now I’m no saint, but I do love the Lord. If he allows me to experience this with fun, relaxation and protection, the Heavemly Father gets all the glory!  I’m humbly grateful. I could not have done it without HIS guidance and authority.

If you really want to travel, use your miles.  If you don’t have any miles, get you some!

Follow me on this journey. I will be posting here on VACATION!!!

Love you all!  Pray for me!

#airbnb #skyscanner #metzi #delta #americanairlines #aadvantagemiles #loscorales #capcana #puntacana #dominicanrepublic

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