Aruba Trip

After completing my assignment at the FQHC in Southern Florida, I was ecstatic because I finally had time to go on a trip! I hadn’t been abroad since last summer since Hurricane Irma had other plans for me.

After living in cold Virginia for one year, I lost all of my color. Thus, I knew my first trip of 2018 would need to be somewhere with plenty of sunshine!

I decided to go to Aruba because since it is close to the equator that meant it is warm year round. Even though it was February, I knew the water in Aruba would still be warm enough to swim in.

I went on the trip with my sister, who was also mentally exhausted from recently changing jobs. We definitely enjoyed our brief getaway, which allowed us to catch up on sleep, sunbathing, and relaxation.

We also enjoyed snorkeling and hanging out at the beach with these fun birds:

I was very interested in seeing the culture of Aruba. The natives spoke an Afro-Portugese creole language, called Papiamento. However, I was most impressed that the majority of them also spoke English, Dutch, Spanish, and even sometimes French. They were very friendly and we ended up being there during their “Carnival”. This is a dance party/parade that runs on main streets throughout the island, lasting days. I have to admit that the Haitian Carnival is way more chaotic ;).

Our last day in Aruba, I made sure to enjoy a Dutch Pancake, and it did not disappoint! It reminded me of a thicker version of a French crepe. I would recommend Aruba for a quick getaway (it was only a 3 hour flight from Miami) and the water was warm as expected.