As we prepare for life in a new country, we are forced to realize that not all things are going to be the same there. People in the U.S. are very spoiled with convenience. This can be both good and bad. Aruba is a somewhat secluded island whose only industry is tourism, so things like food and household items are all shipped in from other areas. What this means is sometimes you just have to take what you can get because there probably isn’t another choice. Another thing that is “take what you can get” is utilities. There is one internet provider, one electric company, one water supplier, etc. Although we discussed earlier that Aruban people are extremely friendly, there is no such thing as “customer service” when it comes to some areas, like utilities. Everything runs on “island time” which means that they will get to it whenever. This will probably take some getting used to when we’re so used to everything being very regimented and scheduled and practically always at our fingertips.
Now, what I’d like to be sure and mention is that, although there are things I will miss about living in the U.S., having the trade off of crystal clear blue water and white sand beaches are definitely going to outweigh anything that might be “missed”. Here are a few things in the U.S. I love that will NOT be available in Aruba:
- Unlimited Refills on Drinks/52 ounce QT iced tea, Route 44 Diet Cokes from Sonic – So we tend to be used to having the waitresses constantly filling our drinks when we go out to eat, or having the fountain drink machine at our disposal in fast-food joints, but in Aruba, you order a Coke and you’re going to either get a can or a small glass and that’s it. What we have learned from the times we have been there, is just drink water with meals. What? Yes, it’s healthier, it’s cheaper, and then just have soda at home if you want, or my personal favorite, rum punch. There are no Big Gulps or QT’s or Sonics. I do love my QT tea and I love my Happy Hour Route 44’s, but again, thinking positively, I would rather have endless rum punches on the beach.
- Chili’s, Panda Express, and Chick-Fil-A – Yes, I love my food and these are some of my favorite places to eat that are not in Aruba. If you refer to my earlier blog posts, you will see that the food is completely fabulous on the island, so I think I will be okay…
Seriously, as I’m writing this, I can’t think of what else I’m actually going to miss. I even took a survey of my family and they had nothing to add. Guess we’re ready to go, huh? Here are some things I will NOT miss:
- Ironing – Since Jay’s job requires him to wear dress clothes, every Tuesday night I stand at the stupid ironing board and iron his stupid work shirts and I seriously dislike this task. I know I could pay the stupid dry cleaner to do this, but I’m cheap. Ha! So yes, having only t-shirts and bathing suits as laundry is something I quite look forward to. Speaking of laundry, most homes in Aruba do not have dryers, so clothes are hung outside to dry. We did this on a two-week visit and I actually enjoyed it. I will get back to you on how this goes if we end up in a home without a dryer!
- Crazy Traffic – Drivers in the U.S. are rude. They just are. It’s all about them. Cutting you off, not paying attention, the list goes on and on. Because people are so respectful in Aruba, driving there is actually enjoyable. All of the roads are small so you don’t have to be paranoid about someone cutting into your lane. Of course, there will probably be tourists in rental cars who may spoil the whole nice system, but not a lot, so it will be a very welcomed change.
- Weather – What? You live in Arizona, it’s always nice there. Well, yes, it is nicer than the original Pennsylvania where I grew up for sure, but we have months of 100+ degree days (not complaining, I actually don’t mind them), and then it’s 40 degrees and raining (okay, only maybe for a day). Anyway, we do have it pretty good in Arizona for sure, but to live in a place where the weather is SO consistent will be a dream come true. It’s basically 90 during the day and 75 at night all year long. I can handle that.
I think what you’ll see from this list is that there really isn’t any reason to just pack our bags and go NOW! Thinking of things we’ll miss, of course we’ll miss our close friends, but they all know there is an open invitation to come and sleep on our floor any time they can:) We look forward to making new Aruban friends, getting used to island time, and leaving all the hustle-bustle of life in the U.S. behind. Counting the days…
Z Island Life 