Wow – TWO Years! We are so thankful to be celebrating this milestone. What a journey this past year has been! The ups and downs, twists and turns, speed bumps and curve balls all seemed to be thrown at us this year, but here we are and we are still so very happy we made this move. But let’s get real about what it’s REALLY like to make such a bold move.
On July 15, 2016, we took one last photo in Arizona and went to the airport to make our way to Aruba with bumps right from the very start! We arrived at the airport to learn we could not leave with a one-way ticket since we weren’t yet officially residents of Aruba. We ended up having to buy return tickets to get us on the plane. Thankfully, we were able to purchase fully refundable tickets so just cancelled them and got all of the money back. The other major issues were flying Molly (our dog) to Aruba because her health certificate was good for 14 days in Aruba but only 10 days in the U.S. So when our friend took her to the airport on Day 11, they refused to let her fly. (See details in previous blog post). But she arrived safe and sound just a few days (and many extra dollars) later. Next, there was the issue with receiving our container that had our personal items and our car. Lost paperwork, lack of communication, blah, blah, blah. Eventually that was resolved as well.
Writing this out makes me think, why did we stick with it? We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and these things were just little bumps we had to experience in the overall goodness of what it’s like to live on an island. We were safe, we were together, and there is A LOT of blue water:) The beautiful beaches, the crystal clear water, all of the amazing people we have met, the new and simple lifestyle we now lead was worth the hassle. Yep, it really never gets old having this to look at every day!
What have we learned in these past two years? A TON, but here are a few items of reality:
A new level of patience. Things here do NOT happen in an instant – nothing! But what do we really need that fast anyway? Well, a bank account would have been helpful before eight months, but really, it’s all good. We wait in lines at the bank, at the tax office, the stores, the streets. Just learn to use that time to take a deep breath, relax, and be aware of those around you. Being upset about it isn’t going to change it.
Having less is okay. Always. Moving to an island and starting a business makes money disappear FAST! We went from a very comfortable lifestyle of never worrying about how we were going to pay bills, going on vacations, eating out whenever, shopping, etc. and then experiencing honestly not knowing where next week’s grocery money was going to come from. But guess what? It always worked out. Apparently, we didn’t starve but we sure did figure out how to simplify our lives. Eating out is now a luxury that happens very occasionally, we live in an adorably tiny house, our gas tanks seem to always be empty in our super old cars, but we are making it and we are happy. We feel we have turned a corner with our business and are feeling really good about the whole thing (not that we ever felt bad!). Despite all the financial challenges we have faced, we have always been able to figure it out. “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” John 14:27.
The intention of this blog was to celebrate our Two Year Arubaversary, which we do with all of our hearts, and not to focus on the negative. What I am trying to get across is that most people have the idea that living on an island means a never-ending beach party with steel drums constantly playing and your rum punch always being filled. Yes, we do have that and that’s what keeps us going! Ha! This is not for everyone. We talk to people every day that tell us they would love to live here but don’t have the guts to do it. To sum it up, anything really worth it isn’t supposed to be easy. You work hard, you get through the tough times, and you rejoice in the good times. There are MANY! We are blessed….here’s to the next two years and beyond!
Z Island Life 