Tara is an Enrolment Services Professional with the Student Support & Advising Unit. Some of the project teams she supports include the SS&A Development Team, where she helps create and plan SS&A teams’ professional development sessions every week. I’m also a member of the Aboriginal Student Finances Team, the Wellness/A&D Team, and she manages the Awards for Students with Disabilities portfolio: “I enjoy working on teams where I can support the health and wellness of students. Recently, I joined the US Loans team and look forward to gaining more knowledge in this area!”
What does Tara enjoy most about working in ES: “I like working with so many talented, thoughtful and interesting people. It’s fun to come to work and get to spend time with such lovely people. Also, I enjoy helping and mentoring students and helping them navigate UBC.”
First off – where did you travel to?
This year has been my year of weddings! Between April and September of 2017, I will be attending / have attended 7 weddings! To kick off my summer of weddings, I went to one in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for one of my closest friends. It was a great way to start busiest wedding season I’ve ever had! The location for the ceremony was beautiful, it didn’t rain on the wedding day, and everyone had so much fun.
Aside from the wedding festivities, what were some activities that you did during your trip?
My husband, Kyle, and I spent most of our time swimming in the ocean or the resort pool, eating delicious food, having beachy cocktails, getting too much sun, applying aloe vera lotion to the sunburns, napping, and people watching (all of the classic all-inclusive activities).
The Dominican Republic is known for the white sandy beaches and crystal blue water and we were not disappointed! We didn’t see any sharks, creepy fish or jellies, so that was a bonus! During our week-long trip, we also went to Coco Bongos (Cirque De Soleil but crazier!) and explored the coastline on a musical boat cruise.
What was your favourite meal during your trip?
Tacos! We discovered this great place in Bavaro Beach called ‘Wacamole’, where they served local cuisine including tacos, shrimp ceviche and giant bowls of fresh guacamole and chips. We ended up going to this place a few times to get off of the resort and eat more authentic food and connect with locals.
Lastly, what is some advice for people traveling to Punta Cana?
Punta Cana is definitely an all-inclusive resort town in the Dominican. There are huge resort complexes side-by-side and it’s hard to get a glimpse of the Dominican culture while you’re tucked away on a tour bus or on your giant resort.
If you like going off the beaten track or if you enjoy exploring the local cities and experiencing the culture (like I usually do) you may want to pick a different town in the Dominican as this one if very focused on resorts. If you want to get away, relax, enjoy good food and cocktails, and just hang out at your beautiful resort, then this is a nice option! We stayed at a beautiful resort called Now Larimar and I’d definitely recommend it! If you’re planning to go to the Dominican, let me know and we can chat about the place over coffee!