Pre-4th Party

July 4th is just a few days away, but I began the celebration this past weekend with a little summer party for the office staff + families. Saturday gave us just the perfect Caribbean weather for a potluck lunch by the pool. My roommates and I ended up bringing corn-on-the-cob and cookies to add to the feast, and although July 4th tends to be one of the least agreeable holidays for me food-wise, I managed to find plenty to eat at this event. Believe it or not, there were six or seven varieties of salads there, and oh so much delicious dessert. I remember browsing the dessert table and seeing, "Cookies, cupcakes, fruit, and then yuca cake." Yeah... I may be surrounded by tons of Americans at work, but it's the little things like yuca cake that remind me of where I am. 

After the party, my roommates and I went over to a friend's home to chill for a bit and watch Despicable Me. The apartment we were at has a beautiful balcony that overlooks part of Santo Domingo and the Caribbean sea. It is truly a spectacular view. The film definitely ranks in my top 10 favorite animated movies. So I was happy to watch it with my new friends. It is just so witty, and I love that both kids and adults alike can enjoy it.

In the evening, a few of us went out to a restaurant, called Falafel, in the Zona Colonial where we met up with people from the 4th of July party earlier in the day. The restaurant was absolutely beautiful. There was no roof to the space, so we sat under the stars as we ate. Talk about great ambience! After dinner, we went out to dance and enjoy our Saturday night. I've only been back on the island for a short while, but this weekend was already one to remember!