aruba, jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya

We loved Aruba! We new that it was a small island but we were very surprised when we walked off the plane and there was only 1 small terminal. The weather was nice and hot the whole time we were there but thanks to the constant trade winds we had a nice breeze to keep us cool. We loved how friendly everyone was and we were greeted with many BonBini's when we arrived (welcome in Aruba).

Because it was such a small island we learned our way around pretty quickly. A few days we rented a car and discovered different parts of the island. Our favorite was finding the local snorkel spots that weren't over crowded with tourists. Baby beach was a fun little find, it was on the other end of the island but it was very shallow, enough that you could sit or lay on your back on the sand in the water.

Our hotel was in downtown Oranjestad, the Capital of Aruba, and had a few brightly painted buildings filled with jewelry shops, restaurants and souvenir shops. You can clearly see that everything on the island is geared toward tourism and they treat their tourists like royalty. Everyone was so nice, but Jason learned, that much like South America, they take their time in Aruba and would get very frustrated when things weren't done as quickly as they are here in NY. We loved this cute little island and would agree that it is in fact - One Happy Island!

Baby Beach
California Lighthouse

Boca Catalina


Downtown Oranjestad


The view of the pool from our room

The marina across from our hotel

just another day in paradise

Our hotel was located on the marina side of the island so they had a private island to make up for their lack of beach, and it did just that. They provided a boat that would pull into the lobby of our hotel and take us to the island.

This was definitely our favorite part of Aruba. The island was just what I imagined a tropical paradise to be, complete with pink flamingos. We planned this trip hoping to relax and for Jason to unwind after the bar and I don't think there could have been anything more perfect to help him do this. It had everything we needed; palm trees, lounge chairs, ample fish for snorkeling, a cafe and tennis court. Our favorite was to wake up early and be the first ones on the island. We would play a little tennis before it got to hot and then cool off with a little snorkeling and then some reading and sun bathing.

The island was sectioned off creating a lagoon so you wouldn't drift out to sea. There were tons of huge blue parrot fish you could see while snorkeling and we learned that if you went outside of the rocks into the open water there was a ship wreck with lots of fish. This quickly became Jason's favorite spot, the visibility went on forever and there were tons of beautiful tropical fish swimming around for us to see.

I get nervous when I snorkel but I loved when we would venture outside of our safe lagooned waters and Jason would hold my hand as we swam around and discovered new fish.

There were iguanas and lizards wandering around but the highlight was watching the flamingos. It was fun to see their vibrant pink feathers and watch them wonder around in the water.

Feeding the flamingos







Around the island









Blue parrot fish

Jason snorkeling

Jason on the boat


Leaving the island

the big 5

While in Aruba, Jason and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary with a romantic dinner on the beach. The Old Man and The Sea was the perfect restaurant to celebrate this amazing milestone. Our table was right next to the water and it was so relaxing to sit and watch the sunset and listen to the ocean while enjoying our catch of the day.

I can't believe how fast these past 5 years have flown and I can't think of a better place to have spent our special day.

Jason also celebrated his 28th birthday while we were on the island and all he wanted to do for his special day was spend it with the fish - meaning we snorkeled all day! If I was more of a sport I think Jason would have snorkeled for hours on end but I would always get tired of looking at the fish and ensist that we go back. Hopefully one day we will have a child that shares Jason's love for the ocean so he can have a snorkel buddy that's more fun to go with than me:)

Our table on the beach (my camera was really blurry)



The view from our table as the sun was setting

the other side of aruba

One side of Aruba is white sandy beaches and the other is a desert, so one day we rented a jeep and did a little off-roading on the desert side. Everyone recommended renting a jeep so you could go off the main road and follow the trails to see some of the sites. It was a little bumpy at times but I think Jason enjoyed roughing it. Our first stop on the trail was the Alto Vista Chapel built in 1750, a quaint little chapel. Next we saw the Bushiribana Ruins with several wishing rocks stacked around. On the trail we kept seeing old shacks along the cliffs and thought they would be the perfect setting for a horror film, we also saw this weird stick thing with flattened soccer balls, old toys and other creepy things - we watch way to many scary movies.

After that we ventured on to the Natural Bridge, a bridge that was formed by the cliffs, that looked pretty cool, but unfortunately it collapsed a few years ago, but it was still amazing to see the huge waves crashing into the side of the cliffs. Next, we had quite the adventure trying to find the natural pool and after a longer hike then we had expected - we finally made it. It was a nice break from the heat and fun to see the pool among the huge rocks. After barely getting out of their alive, we were back on solid, smooth ground and enjoyed the rest of the evening cruising around Aruba with the top off.

We loved having a change of scenery and getting a chance to explore our adventurous side.

Alto Vista Chapel - built in 1750

A creepy sculpture thing that looked like it came straight out of a horror film

Ruins

Wishing rocks - you are suppose to stack them and make a wish


The natural bridge that collapsed


An Ostrich farm we found along the way (this ones for you, Kade)

The natural pool & Jason hiking out


Mountain goats taking over the road

3 years in nyc

Exactly 3 years ago today Jason and I boarded a plane with a one-way ticket to NYC and all of our belongings crammed into two suitcases each. I remember walking into our new apartment and thinking "how am I going to live in just one room for the next three years?" It took some adjusting and after first feeling lost in such a big city, I finally started to feel comfortable. Jason started school and I was left to figure out where to find basic necessities in the city, how to get to and from each location and just how to survive with out the normal things I use to use everyday. I can't believe how the time has flown, law school is over and we feel like this is the place for us. In Aruba people would ask where we were from and we would always say NY. It is our home, and I think after three years we can officially say we are true New Yorkers!

Our first trip to Central Park after moving to the city


* Aruba post to come