The Couple Next Door

                                                           Starry Starry Night

NYC in January is often bitterly cold and sometimes hit with heavy snowstorms. On a subzero, snowy day with no reason or desire to go outside, I decide to tackle some much needed paperwork at my desk. I began going through folders with income tax, bank and health insurance statements and came across one I had completely forgotten about labeled "Trip Information".  Last year my boyfriend and I booked a trip to Italy for September of 2025.  We were all set to go but had to cancel because of a family matter. We lost a bit of money on the hotels, but we did receive credit for our flights.  I had completely forgotten about the credit, so I was happy to call my boyfriend and share the good news, knowing he probably hadn't remembered either. Since we were planning to rebook our trip to Italy this fall, we were thrilled by the surprise I discovered.  He then asked me to check the expiration date of the credit.  The expiration date was on February 23rd, 2026.  We needed to fly out and be back by February 23rd.  My boyfriend said three words to me after I gave him the details, "Start packing honey!" I am not usually good at making last minute plans, but with only a few weeks to go, we had to quickly review our calendars and weigh our options for destinations and costs.  Since this winter had been exceptionally cold, we opted for a tropical island getaway, just three to four hours away.  After some calls to airlines and hotels we were all set for a five day stay in the Dominican Republic.

We left NYV in -7  degree weather and landed in the Dominican Republic with a balmy 84 degrees.  Since we had to wake up at 4 am for our 6:30 am flight, we were a bit tired and looked forward to having a bite and taking a nap once we arrived.  There were some issues with our assigned room, so we had to wait a little longer than expected. After we ate, we made the most of the wait by grabbing a drink and heading down to the beach.  We both packed light shirts and shorts in our carry-ons so we could change when we arrived, knowing there might be a wait for our room.  After a few hours, we finally received our key to our beautifully located beachfront room.  We were eager to tour the property, but first we wanted to shower and take a short nap.  Recharged from our nap, we made our way down to the beach for a swim, then stretched out on lounge chairs under breezy, open - air huts topped with woven palm roofs that offered cool relief from the Caribbean sun.  After a few hours on the beach, we hopped on a resort trolly for a ride around the property before heading back to our room.  We brewed coffee and settled on the balcony watching the palm trees sway in the breeze. After reading for a bit, we began getting ready for dinner.

After a delicious steak dinner, we took a short stroll along the beach and rested on lounge chairs, soaking in the starlit sky.  Living in NYC we hardly have the chance to gaze at such a star-filled sky.  We reached for each other's hand and gave a gentle squeeze.  Time seemed to stand still as we listened to the waves and looked up at the sky.  And then something incredible happened, something neither of us had ever witnessed: we saw a shooting star streaked across the sky.  We watched it until it was no longer in our view.  As I write about it, I can still see the sky and feel the emotions on that starry, starry night.  Seeing the falling star felt like adding a special moment to my life resume with someone meaningful.