I am currently on top of a mountain looking out onto the ocean. I am on vacation in the Dominican Republic with one of my sons. I rented a house which has an ocean view and it is the most lovely spot.

I have been surprised by many things while on this trip. I have seen very few cars. Most people use scooters or motorcycles to get places. Unlike America, there has been no accidents. Maybe that is why very few people wear helmets.

In the evening we have driven through Las Terrenas and the streets are littered with people. It is a very social atmosphere when the sun goes down, as it is also during the day. People rarely go into their houses because most of the houses are mere shacks.

There are very few mosquitoes here, a few flies and a couple of insects that look like Crickets on steroids. The fruit gnats are abundant if you leave your fruit out on the counter but overall there is little annoyance from the insects.

As I think about my life back home I realize I work hard most of the day and occasionally talk to my neighbors if we happen to be outside at the same time. The majority of days after interacting with people in my job I hide away in my house and isolate myself from others.

I was talking to my sister about this some time ago. We said how interesting it was that most Americans disappear inside houses at the end of the work day. In the Dominican Republic it seems as if the drum of life keeps beating well after the sun sets.

This may be because in America we have television, internet and nice houses. We disengage from people to go watch other people we don’t know on a black box called Television. We sit at a computer and engage in social media tweeting and messaging every person we care about, but seldom venture out to see them. I spend hours upon hours at my home cleaning it, trying to make it look inviting for people who never come to visit.

Here in the Dominican I am staying in a house made of concrete. There are no floors to vacuum and no wood to polish. I am not trying to bash Americans but I will say this; staying in the Dominican Republic for a week has been liberating and delightful. It has cleared my mind and given me much needed focus. I have realized more than ever the trappings that I have allowed in my life as I have pursued the idol of materialism. This has been a wonderful vacation and I am dreading the moment I will have to leave.