Tropical Vacation, Anyone?

Hello, thirty degrees, feels like twenty! Hello, light snow! It's a SNOW DAY(!!), which excites me as much now as a teacher, as it did when I was a student. Yes, an unexpected pj day is great, but it's snowy, windy, and cold . . . makes me think about leaving my shovel and L.L. Bean boots behind for a daiquiri and a pair of flip flops!

A trip down memory-lane will have to do for now, as I fondly remember my first tropical vacation, taken not too long ago. The BF and I vacationed in Aruba during the summer of 2008. One might first think, "Why the hell would you visit Aruba in the summer?!?" Valid question. Due to its proximity to the equator, and the constant 20 mph trade winds, Aruba's temp hovers between 80-90 degrees throughout the year. We chose summer for a few reasons: freedom to travel, better deals, and the usual Maine summer temps of 65-75 degrees. Our reason for choosing Aruba was simple: K.C. had been there a few times before with his family and he LOVED it.

Downtown Oranjested (capital):





We stayed at the Westin Aruba on Palm Beach. The Westin is one of many high-rise hotels along that stretch of sparkling sand and water. Most of our mornings were spent on the beach, reading or swimming. It was too hot in the sun during the afternoon, so we usually hung out near the pool in the shade or in one of the many pier bars. Our evenings were spent eating and drinking, usually accompanied by live music. The food in Aruba was unbelievable! Everything we ate was out of this world, from the freshly caught mahi mahi or red snapper to the mouth-watering chimichurri sauce. I have a list of to-die-for restaurants if anyone is planning a trip there!





The island of Aruba, known as "one happy island," was the setting for the most relaxing vacation of my life. The people were friendly, many speaking four or five languages. The island is small enough so that by the third day, we knew our way around Palm Beach and Oranjestad pretty well. We felt safe and secure. Our "vacation-fund" has been growing for a couple years and soon enough, K.C. and I will be back in Aruba, where snow days do not exist!