a photo diary from the nature island.

Dominica has been on my mind. I visited the island last November, during a time in which I found myself needing a cleanse.

I was in a creative and emotional slump, brought on by the cold weather in New York, exhaustion from my first semester of grad school, and changes in relationships and friendships.

Simply put, I needed to recharge, be in nature, and touch grass. Dominica, known as the Nature Island, was the best place to do that.

It’s an appropriate designation — it is green. Green dominates your senses; it’s in your direct line of vision and your periphery.

Dominica doesn’t receive many tourists, primarily due to the limited number of nonstop flights originating from the U.S. Because of this, it’s largely unspoiled by the negative aspects of commercial tourism. There are no all-inclusive resorts and very few large cruise ships.

The quiet allowed me the freedom to write more than I had in months. I also slept a lot. It was nice to wake up to the sound of birds chirping and raindrops plop, plop, plopping a cadence on the roof of my villa.

Enjoy some of my photos/outtakes from my trip, and read on below for some tips on how to visit Dominica yourself.

I booked two one-way tickets to get to and from the island so that I could use my American AAdvantage miles. I flew from New York and connected in Miami on both legs.

It’s much easier to get to Dominica now that United has a once-weekly nonstop flight from Newark. Given the demand and the limited flights, tickets aren't the cheapest. Here’s a look at some of your options if you want to visit this summer:

• United Airlines: From $536 round-trip in basic economy from Newark (nonstop)

• American Airlines: From $501 round-trip in basic economy from New York (1-stop)

I stayed 3 nights at the eco-luxury Secret Bay resort. I reviewed the resort a while back for Upgraded Points, so I won’t recap it here. This is a non-exhaustive list of some of the best hotels in Dominica:

• Picard Beach Cottages: From $162 per night

• Pagua Bay House: From $225 per night

• InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa: From $389 per night

• Jungle Bay Dominica: From $466 per night

• Secret Bay: From $1,270 per night