Our First Trip Out of the Country After the Pandemic

Taylor & I decided to book a research/bleisure vacation back in March as we could not wait any longer to travel. We were four months away since the trip was scheduled for the 4th of July holiday. It was the first time going out of the country after all this crazy time, we were wondering if it was going to be easy or if new restrictions were going to be in place.

The day came and it was time to depart. We did not book the trip at the same time so our flights were not departing and arriving at the same time. Obviously, things did not happen as planned and Taylor's flight was cancelled, what a nightmare! But she finally arrived one day after I did and I greeted her with a drink! Did I mention where we went? Check it out below.

The Caribbean is so beautiful and it is always a good idea if you want to escape the routine.

We stayed in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic at Live Aqua Resort. Be aware that if you are going to Punta Cana, the Atlantic ocean has a lot of seaweed which makes it not as pleasant to swim in the ocean. The views are still gorgeous though!

Since we are interior designers, we cannot help but check every single finish and material in the property.

Taylor & I are always looking around for inspiration, we research everywhere we go. We gather all the information to be able to create designs that are very functional for those who occupy the spaces... we do not worry about aesthetics as much since we have an inborn talent for it, ha!

Every property should tell a story and offer an experience. We loved the duckies swimming around in the public space pools. It gave the resort a fun and laid back feel right when we arrived.

This five star resort opened in February 2021. It was nice to stay in a brand new property!

Sustainability is one of 21FHD's core values and we definitely made sure to find out what they do to be more sustainable.

We loved that their wrist bands are made with coconut shell from locals, no more plastic bracelets please! Also, they do not have single use plastic cups, instead they use glass at the restaurants and washable cups for the pool, beach, and pool bar.

There are so many ways to implement sustainability in hotels and restaurants. We are all about learning, teaching, and implementing sustainable practices in our business and also in our daily lives.

Time flew by and we are back in the office reminiscing about our time in paradise and discussing all the useful information we gathered. Our focus on the guest experience being one. Everything we learned will for sure be implemented into our future designs. We are so glad we booked the trip!