Take me back to Aruba.
With every lifestyle blog, there will be a featured song contributing to the curation of the atmosphere of said post. Be sure to tune in while reading or listen and view the images after as part of the experience.
{Song for Post: In the Midst of It All by Tom Misch}
Aruba's been on my list of places to travel since 2020. In 2021 I finally took it upon myself to have a little fun and experience life a bit more, again.
Okay so I obviously took this trip throughout the period of COVID-19, and to travel to this amazing island you have to show proof of a negative test. Seems simple enough right? Well evidently it's a bit more specific than that. I flew through United Airlines and although they provided their own course of COVID-19 testing I decided to use the "rapid test" option at my local clinic. Everything was good to go until I arrived in Aruba. The airport staff explained to me that they don't accept all types of COVID-19 tests from every place that offers them including mine, and I wasn't allowed to pass.
At this point I had two options: be locked in my resort room for 24hrs waiting on a free test the Aruba airport provides or pay $130.00 to receive rapid results and roam free. I immediately paid for the test and started drinking.
MORAL OF THE STORY
IF YOU TRAVEL ANYWHERE INTERNATIONALLY PLEASE TRIPLE CHECK COVID-19 INFORMATION, IT WILL MATTER.
Moving on I took a taxi to my resort, checked in, and hung out poolside for the evening.
The weather was perfect, the setting was gorgeous, and relaxation felt well deserved.
I went back to the room changed for the night and hit the streets edgar to see what this new land offered.
The whole city was something out of a fairytale. From the architect of the buildings to the smell in the streets I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised.
The next day, I crossed an item off my bucket list.
My resort had direct access to an island across the bay, so that a private boat would come and transport you any time of the day. I decided to get going early to enjoy each second of this experience.
All of this travel,
all of this time
for one thing..
Hanging at Flamingo island was a daydream, I never wanted to wake up.
Eventually however, all good things must come to an end and I decided to move forward.
Other than feeding flamingos, and enjoying every amenity back at the resort, the next adventure called for dirt under your fingernails.
An excursion was booked for an all day off-road drive a thon, man I almost died four times it was great.
The tour guide took our group deep in the Aruba mountains and provided rich history from the culture of its people. Learning and experiencing differences in food, media, and even interaction about a new place are my favorite things about traveling.
It was absolutely necessary to experience a part of the island that wasn't just beach fun.
Quick Question: When you travel do you try to go out of your comfort zone when it comes to activities and cuisine, or do you stick to what you know?
"You need your Ego, it shows you exactly who you are."-A Wise Man
Sometimes you need to remind yourself.
After it was time to say goodbye to the resort it was time for part two of the trip, the "relaxing" part.
I rented an Airbnb villa to end the vacation on the other side of the island and it was the perfect way to spend the last two days.
Can you guess what the theme was?
The trip was everything it needed to be and more with one final surprise.
A dinner with my toes in the water.
Aruba was worth every penny, even the COVID-19 test mixup came with knowledge.
This type of mindset I choose to celebrate as it has continued time and time again to take me around the world. I strongly recommend going on vacation. It's good for your overall well-being.
Where would you like to see me go next?
Where would you like to go?
