I must be doing something right if I can wake up and see this view from my window:
Everyone I know who has been to Aruba considers the island to be like paradise, so I was excited to finally see what all the hype is about. Our flight landed on Saturday night around 10pm and I fully expected to go to sleep after just a quick drink at the hotel bar. Fortunately for me, the other two people on my team are a lot more fun and they insisted that we have a big night out.
We got some recommendations from the Front Desk agent and set out for a night in the Palm Beach area. He recommended a night club called Confession, but the people waiting to get in looked ghetto to me so I suggested one of the many bars that were clustered nearby. We ultimately settled on Sand Bar, which was just my scene because it allowed us to stand at the bar and laugh at the people dancing on the stage. I think my favorite memory of the night was watching a drunk girl repeatedly try (and fail) to take "selfies" on a bar stool. The poor girl just couldn't find a good angle.
Before ending the night, we stopped at the hotel casino for some alcohol-induced gambling. Our group joined a roulette table and I don't remember much other than winning on my last bet (thanks to my friend's fab suggestion). This trip is off to a great start!
I woke up the next morning with a huge sleep deficit, but I was inspired to go for a run along the beach. Before even getting 2 blocks from the hotel, I almost stepped on an iguana. (Welcome to Aruba!) The street heading north was surprisingly serene once I got out of the hotel district, and I could enjoy the postcard-quality views without many interruptions. One thing I will always remember about running in Aruba is the relentless wind. Aruba is known for always having a really strong breeze; Just look at the trees!
Most of Sunday afternoon was spent at the pool and the beach. Our hotel has a swim-up bar/restaurant, which we had to try. I love being able to stand waist-deep in the pool, with a frozen drink in my hand and the sun beating down on my face. What happened to the old adage that you shouldn't swim within an hour of eating? This rule must not apply in paradise.
The sun was starting to feel strong by mid-afternoon, so we migrated over to the beach and sat under a palapa hut. With WiFi available on the beach, we could have been checking e-mails and getting some work done. Instead, we decided to turn on some music and continue to enjoy the weekend.
We tried Aqua Grill for dinner and it was probably my favorite meal of the week. The environment was upscale and the food was top-notch. From there, we went to MooMba Bar for a drink to close out the night. Moomba bar is a great choice for anyone looking to mix with the locals. However, it was pretty easy to identify the North American tourists because their dancing skills are not quite up to par.
There are so many ethnic restaurants to visit in the Palm Beach area but I will admit that none tasted very authentic to me. One night, we went to dinner at a "French" restaurant called Papillon. The only thing reminding me of France was that the soft drinks didn't come with free refills. Another night, we had sushi in a brazilian steakhouse called Amazonia (ok, we can only blame ourselves for that decision)!
On Thursday, we finished work early to attend a happy hour with the staff. Thanks to our hook-up with the senior management, all of our drinks arrived in pairs!
On our last night in Aruba, we went to the south side of the island to get a different type of experience. We started with drinks at a great bar called Arubaville. The traditional thatched roof and waterfront views may have implied a tourist hot-spot, but the chill live music and Papiamento-speaking waitresses were proof that we were hanging out with the locals.
After our happy hour at Arubaville, we got back into the car and drove to an even more remote part of the island for dinner. The restaurant was literally in the water - a good indication that we would be eating some fresh seafood.
As we waited for the food to arrive, we were treated to a remarkable sunset, followed by a brief (but intense) insect invasion that felt like were under attack. All the diners passed around cans of insect repellent, but I was already feeling a few bites. Fortunately, the bugs were gone just as quickly as they arrived and we were back to our ideal setting.
After dinner, we couldn't let the last night end without one last trip to the bars. We heard great things about Gusto, and it really delivered a fun atmosphere. Lots of great music, attractive people, and laser lights bounced off the walls. I noticed several parties upstairs with table service and I had almost forgotten that I was in Aruba.
My ride back to the airport always provides a good opportunity to reflect on the week and I will always look back on this trip with a smile (and a slight hangover)! Even though we spent our working hours in a conference room, the overall trip felt like a vacation. People on the island are friendly and laid-back, restaurants are almost always open-air, and music/dancing are commonplace.
The license plates in Aruba all display the mantra: "One Happy Island". After spending a week on the island and meeting plenty of locals, I couldn't agree more.
 |
| View from my room of Palm Beach, Aruba |
Everyone I know who has been to Aruba considers the island to be like paradise, so I was excited to finally see what all the hype is about. Our flight landed on Saturday night around 10pm and I fully expected to go to sleep after just a quick drink at the hotel bar. Fortunately for me, the other two people on my team are a lot more fun and they insisted that we have a big night out.
We got some recommendations from the Front Desk agent and set out for a night in the Palm Beach area. He recommended a night club called Confession, but the people waiting to get in looked ghetto to me so I suggested one of the many bars that were clustered nearby. We ultimately settled on Sand Bar, which was just my scene because it allowed us to stand at the bar and laugh at the people dancing on the stage. I think my favorite memory of the night was watching a drunk girl repeatedly try (and fail) to take "selfies" on a bar stool. The poor girl just couldn't find a good angle.
Before ending the night, we stopped at the hotel casino for some alcohol-induced gambling. Our group joined a roulette table and I don't remember much other than winning on my last bet (thanks to my friend's fab suggestion). This trip is off to a great start!
I woke up the next morning with a huge sleep deficit, but I was inspired to go for a run along the beach. Before even getting 2 blocks from the hotel, I almost stepped on an iguana. (Welcome to Aruba!) The street heading north was surprisingly serene once I got out of the hotel district, and I could enjoy the postcard-quality views without many interruptions. One thing I will always remember about running in Aruba is the relentless wind. Aruba is known for always having a really strong breeze; Just look at the trees!
 |
| Views like this make running a lot more fun |
 |
| Aruba is always windy |
Most of Sunday afternoon was spent at the pool and the beach. Our hotel has a swim-up bar/restaurant, which we had to try. I love being able to stand waist-deep in the pool, with a frozen drink in my hand and the sun beating down on my face. What happened to the old adage that you shouldn't swim within an hour of eating? This rule must not apply in paradise.
The sun was starting to feel strong by mid-afternoon, so we migrated over to the beach and sat under a palapa hut. With WiFi available on the beach, we could have been checking e-mails and getting some work done. Instead, we decided to turn on some music and continue to enjoy the weekend.
 |
| Enjoying the beach from under our palapa hut |
We tried Aqua Grill for dinner and it was probably my favorite meal of the week. The environment was upscale and the food was top-notch. From there, we went to MooMba Bar for a drink to close out the night. Moomba bar is a great choice for anyone looking to mix with the locals. However, it was pretty easy to identify the North American tourists because their dancing skills are not quite up to par.
There are so many ethnic restaurants to visit in the Palm Beach area but I will admit that none tasted very authentic to me. One night, we went to dinner at a "French" restaurant called Papillon. The only thing reminding me of France was that the soft drinks didn't come with free refills. Another night, we had sushi in a brazilian steakhouse called Amazonia (ok, we can only blame ourselves for that decision)!
On Thursday, we finished work early to attend a happy hour with the staff. Thanks to our hook-up with the senior management, all of our drinks arrived in pairs!
 |
| Seeing double at Happy Hour |
On our last night in Aruba, we went to the south side of the island to get a different type of experience. We started with drinks at a great bar called Arubaville. The traditional thatched roof and waterfront views may have implied a tourist hot-spot, but the chill live music and Papiamento-speaking waitresses were proof that we were hanging out with the locals.
 |
| Arriving at Arubaville |
 |
| Words to live by |
After our happy hour at Arubaville, we got back into the car and drove to an even more remote part of the island for dinner. The restaurant was literally in the water - a good indication that we would be eating some fresh seafood.
 |
| The true definition of waterfront dining |
As we waited for the food to arrive, we were treated to a remarkable sunset, followed by a brief (but intense) insect invasion that felt like were under attack. All the diners passed around cans of insect repellent, but I was already feeling a few bites. Fortunately, the bugs were gone just as quickly as they arrived and we were back to our ideal setting.
 |
| Sunset on our last night in Aruba |
After dinner, we couldn't let the last night end without one last trip to the bars. We heard great things about Gusto, and it really delivered a fun atmosphere. Lots of great music, attractive people, and laser lights bounced off the walls. I noticed several parties upstairs with table service and I had almost forgotten that I was in Aruba.
My ride back to the airport always provides a good opportunity to reflect on the week and I will always look back on this trip with a smile (and a slight hangover)! Even though we spent our working hours in a conference room, the overall trip felt like a vacation. People on the island are friendly and laid-back, restaurants are almost always open-air, and music/dancing are commonplace.
The license plates in Aruba all display the mantra: "One Happy Island". After spending a week on the island and meeting plenty of locals, I couldn't agree more.
 |
| Aruba truly is 'one happy island' |
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