Apologetically Selfish

Its amazing how woman of all races and sizes, despite different backgrounds and experiences, somehow similarly go through the same phases in life. As I sit here in one of my favorite cafes, I'm secretly ease dropping on the conversation behind me. Two very pretty college aged ladies of middle eastern decent are discussing there innate desire to simply be selfish in life.

During a time when most young women are readily searching for their soul mates, endless love, romantic excursions, and the perfect guy to take home to dad, these young ladies are running the opposite way. Not against the ideal of marriage or commitment but for the chance to develop her self independently of another being. They long for an opportunity to selfishly focus on themselves without having to give to another being....

I remember this moment all to well.

Almost apologetically I would express to my friends the need to be alone and single. I almost begged for it most cases! Heck, I actually fought for it. The notion of not wanting to marry or date is almost unacceptable for women my age. While no one dared debate my desire to adjust to a working life and spend quality time developing myself; they did however refute me doing it without a companion.

I wonder why in a time like ours- full of infidelity, broken bonds, economic downturns, and more, people still press the issue of settlement. Isn't that the very last facet of life we should aim to achieve?

I'm just saying...

ARN

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Tattoo Dinner Cruise: Close of the week

What happens on the Tattoo... Stay's on the Tattoo. We had a BLAST!!!!

Now we prepare to return to our home. YESSSS TO FLORIDA. Never loved or miss my lil place in Gainesville SO MUCH! And the best gift of all, my family from the MIA will be there to welcome me back. I can't get home soon enough.

I'll never forget this trip, or the people I met, the bonds that were made tighter or the blessing that brought us! God is sooooo GOOD!

Till I reflect!

Rested and ready to move

A.N.

T.G.I.F.: As Aruba Ends

Thank God It's Friday!!! I've really enjoyed my time here but I'm ready to come home!!!

The last 3 days have been GREAT! So great I haven't had time to blog, and if I reflected on every little thing, I'd be here for hours so here a lil recap!

Tuesday began like every other morning. The girls and I sat out on the balcony for breakfast and chit chatted until afternoon. Feeling adventurous, we headed down to the beach and poolside with every intention to actually go for a swim instead of just lounge on the beach. AND we did just that. We spent hours letting the the waves carry us up shore as Slim and I learned to swim and Malaisha did the teaching. We drank so much salt water that our insides should be completely healed from any internal sores. With burning eyes, worked muscles and less fear than we began with, Slim left the waters able to swim and I was still yet struggling. But it was still fun.

We learned that swimming in ocean water is easier when swimming with the waves but also because salt water is more buoyant so it carries us better. And I must admit, I was able to expand on my swimming technique in the sea, but not wanting to get my hair wet held me back a ton.

A few hours later and 'fed-up-ness' with the salt water pushed us into the pool, where I feel comfortable swimming. I messed up my hair, but it was worth it!

We ended the day dancing our towels off (literally) during their happy hour jamming time by the pool. They had a guy their singing oldies tracks as bartenders gave out shots!!!!

They really know how to party in Aruba!

Wednesday was more relaxed. We REFUSED to get back into the water! It took me almost an hour to fix my hair the night before and I wasn't meeting that task again!

We took a bus into downtown and did some shopping. We browsed some dream worthy stores like Gucci and Lois Vuitton. And everyone knows I LOVE MY STILETTOS & BAGS :) couldn't leave without them. I purchased some heels from guess and a nice work bag from Aldo.

We returned and awaited 9:00 Karaoke which was an absolute blast. Can't get into details but by the end of the night, we had rocked the mic and the bar and danced until our feet and everything else hurt. This was an event I'm gad we didn't miss equip with ghost busters, flash lights, Kongo lines, flying popcorn and more!!!! We had a blast!

We meet a young lady named Dr. Laurie Hicks there too. She's from SC, Clifton University, an Opera singer. We hung out with her and another group of young girls from Boston for the rest of the night out on the town and ended our day about 3am! FUN TIMES!!!

Thursday was a recoup day from Wednesday night's events. We lounged, sleep on the beach with Laurie, hung in the ocean some with the baby and read. We were of few word Thursday; we were just SO tired and kind of ready to go at this point.

The highlight of Thursday was our elegant tapas dinner at The Promenade, a local Aruban restaurant. We had all you can eat tapas of a myriad of selections. We ate lamb dishes, ribs, seafood pasta, steak, stuffed chicken, and so much more. The food was the best I've had here all week and I would love to go back. They also had a sauteed sweet onion mix to eat their garlic bread with that was to die for!!! LOVED it!

We ended the night watching the game. GO CELTICS!!!! I'm so glad we won by the way!!!! YAY! and passed out.

TODAY, we are currently bumming it until out 8 to 12 Tattoo Party Cruise! Dinner, Dancing and Music on the ocean, under the stars and at sunset! I'm so ready.

I must nap now!

I'll let you know how it goes before flying out tomorrow!!!

Finally found my peace,

A.N.

"My Friend, I believe that is what thy call the good life" AG.

Although I've been here since Saturday, today is the first day I've settled into being on vacation. I'm beginning to connect with the careless colored waves, blowing palms, and serene behaviors of the my fellow vacationers. I am enjoying having endless carefree fun, laying on our balcony watching the clouds fly by. Who would have ever though they move so swiftly!!!

I'm about to change and prepare for another day in the seas like we did Sunday. (I'll recap those moments for ya later). Today I'm feeling adventurous enough to possibly even go for a swim!!! I'll just have to fix my hair later =)

Love and Peace

A.N

Dinner with the doctors: Day 3

Today we walked down to a neighboring resort named Costa Linda and and took the most beautiful pictures. Their resort was much nicer than ours and seemingly calmer as well. The lobby made way into a picturesque courtyard decorated with tropical flowers, greenery, leather lounge sofas, crafted waterfalls and straw cabanas.

We took some fun pictures there in front of the best backdrops, partook in some window shopping and then headed back with a brisk walk alone the shore towards our resort. About an 1/2 a mile of endless seas awed us, beating against our legs and cooling us from the sun. I carefully watch the waves shift through the seas, and the perfect blends of sand and water swirl before landing after each wave. It's landing ripples galloped like tiny horse legs to the top of the shore and swiftly disappeared to shortly rerun again.

Beaten by the sun, we headed back to the room for rest before our 7pm dinner with some of host's friends. We ate at the beach side restaurant of our connecting resort where they had all you can eat BBQ and sides for $20. The dinner was delicious and the sunset beach atmosphere was delightful but the conversation conversation was most valuable.

Tonight we meet with Dr. Deborah 'debbie' Holmes, Magic Johnson Health care Center Medical Doctor form Miami, Fl and Dr John Buckner, Orthopedic surgeon from NY, New York. 3 hours of enlightening conversation later gained us insight to their life stories, inspiration for our loves and wisdom to live by! They are wonderful, down to earth people that I am proud to know and add to my networks. They opened themselves up for our use to pull on and I readily receive it!

We ended the night taking suggestions from these 20 year annual Aruban vacationers of excursions to venture into the rest of the week and then back to our rooms we came.

Now I sit, very tired, but also curious! I'm ready for my day tomorrow. Maybe I'll hit the waves again.

Off to bathe!

A.N

Welcome to Aruba!!!

So we've made it to Aruba and the past two days has been quite a journey. We've learned a ton, experienced the beautiful waves, taken too many pictures and are finally beginning to really grasp what our vacation is really all about. This morning around our homemade breakfast out on the balcony over looking the beautiful seas, we were communicating how it's only Monday and we still have 5 more GREAT days to go of this vacation. How awesome!! Typically we would be packing up from a standard two to three day vacation, complaining of now having enough time. But this is trip is so far from that!

Daily Malaisha wakes and expresses her thanks and awe to be able to awake to such a beautiful view daily!!! And we really do have an awesome view. From our 4th floor resort room in the Casa Del Mar Beach resort, we over look the resort pool, it's Aruban cabanas and a refreshingly breathe taking coast of the perfect turquoise blue and sea green into beep naval blues EVER!!! AND THE WAVES are just indescribable!

I promise to explain... but we're on our way back out. I'll touch bases soon! Details to follow!

Enjoying the peace

A.N.

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Destination ARUBA!!!!

It is exactly 4:54 AM and in 2 hours and 6 minutes I will have officially been awake for 24 hours! This is my cost to go to Aruba!!!! I pray that is will be worth it. A week of aqua blue seas, bright yellow suns, and wheat blown sand should revitalize me from this comma I readily await to partake in!

"Aruba, here I come!!!!!" AND I WELCOME you all to travel with me.

It is my intent to share as much of Aruba as I can with you while I am here via this blog. I'm not exactly sure how much Internet access I will have but I will take advantage of what is given to me.

Blog ya in a few hours before take off!

A.N.