Welcome to Aruba, a bit late....

ok, so i really haven't written something on here in a long time - whoops

travel - i went to aruba in april - that was a great time - i spend the entire trip under a cabana on the beach - i even went into the ocean - a bit - until a fish touched me - i really don't like being in the ocean up more than my ankles - but i did it once - so that is enough of that - it was beautiful though - i really want to go back to a tropical island again soon - i don't really have one in particular in mind - i wouldn't mind seeing as many as i can though - but i really should get back to aruba at some point and see a bit more of the island then just that beach - even if it was beautiful

so a few things i would suggest you do while in aruba - dinner on the beach - i absolutely suggest that - i have never had dinner on the sand like that before and it was so nice - and make sure you time it right for the sunset - that is very important - the sun set very fast there - so we were lucky that we were able to enjoy the sunset before our dinner came out - there were mosquitoes though - i am really not a fan of those, but i figure since i am living in new england at the moment, where they are the size of small dogs, i can't really complain about them

people watching - i like to do this - there is always someone interesting to watch, even when everyone is laying around on the beach - this was a public beach, so there were always locals around who were fishing - i didn't see many people get any interesting fish, but the pelicans certainly seemed to be doing a good job - one day there were a few people fishing with nets - i have never seen anyone doing that so that was really interesting to watch and they were able to collect a lot of small silver fish - in retrospect i wish i had done some more exploring of the island to get to know the culture more, but the whole point of the trip was to relax as best as possible given all the stressful times i had lately - and i have to say the trip was a complete success

with most of my trips, i try to fit in as much as possible - i try to see everything and go everywhere i can and not miss a second of it - i tend to take a lot of pictures because i feel like i won't remember it if i don't - every now and then it is an incredibly good idea to just stop that - to just experience the place and the relaxation of a spot - just sit back and watch the world go by - that is something that i am still working on, as i tend to prefer to be on the move, but i seem to have done a good job of it then - i spent days on a beach! i am not usually a fan of beaches, and a few hours are more than enough for me, but i didn't want to leave at all - i am so glad i did that and so glad i experienced what it was like to go on a "do nothing trip" - i should try more of those... so where to next?

Happy July 4th

            I should be going on some sort of trip this weekend. After all, it is a three day weekend because of July 4^th here in the US, so I should be out traveling and seeing the world. I don’t think that will be happening this year. I think this year I will do the whole July 4^th thing the way most families do in this country: Grill, check. Picnic table, check. Outdoor couch, check. Beach down the road, check. This is a first for me, but I am actually spending a three day weekend at home, in my yard.

             I guess there’s nothing wrong with it. It just seems a bit slow to me, but then again, time does move quite quickly these days. I think in general people don’t feel they have the time to really sit back and experience something. I notice that a lot when I travel somewhere. I never have a plan when I get to a place. I just sort of flow with whatever is going to happen that day. Sometimes I end up seeing a lot, other times I do nothing other than sit in a park and watch the world go by. I see so many others consulting their maps and guidebooks, searching their phones for things to do and restaurant reviews, and never just looking around them to see what is going on. I think that’s the key to successful travel: Observation. All the planning in the world will get you nothing if you don’t remember where you were in the first place. So, I will take that to heart this weekend. I am moving away from here in a few months, and I am going to take this time to observe everything around me. Never know what you might see if you try it.

Welcome to Fantasy Island

            I needed a break. This summer has been crazy already and it’s barely even started. I feel like I am traveling somewhere just about every weekend, but I don’t seem to get anywhere. School work has also been wearing me down. I never have been a fan of school, but for some reason, grad school is even worse. I don’t know why really. And it was our wedding anniversary. Unfortunately we didn’t get to spend it together, or even in the same state, so getting away for a bit was necessary.

            I’ve wanted to go to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket since we moved up to New England. For some reason it’s taken me three and a half years to hop on the ferry and head on over to Martha’s Vineyard. Hopefully it won’t take me nearly so long to get back. The ride over from Wood’s Hole, MA is only 45 minutes, and on the way over we were able to sit on the top and watch the scenery go by (I am so thankful we got at least a few days of sun). The first thing I noticed when we pulled in to Oak Bluffs was the big park and beautiful Victorian houses all along the waterfront. I am a huge fan of Victorian architecture, so Oak Bluffs is like a dream town for me.

The view coming off the ferry from the mainland includes this beautiful park and a line of wonderful Victorian homes.

            Much of Martha’s Vineyard is invaded by tourists every summer, maybe all of it, and their influence is everywhere. Like all tourist traps in New England, there are artsy shops on every block and high priced restaurants. There were more ice cream shops than there were blocks along the main street of each town. The main streets of the towns were crowded with tourists, locals, cars, bikes and mopeds, and yet I felt more peaceful there than I have just about anywhere else in New England. There is something about Martha’s Vineyard and maybe small islands else ware, that just makes you slow down and relax. There is no reason to rush around and there is no reason to stress about life. That is my kind of place.

A line of gingerbread Victorian homes along the Oak Bluffs Harbor

            One suggestion I would give you is to get a bike on the island or bring yours with you. There is no need to have a car on the island with you. There are bike paths throughout the island and a great bus network to get you everywhere else. There are also plenty of taxis to get you around faster if you don’t want to wait for the bus to come. Not having a car will also help you to not over pack, a problem for most travelers out there. It will also save you money. If you leave your car on the mainland, you do have to pay for parking. But taking your car over to the island seems like a lot of hassle. You have to wait in line at the ferry to get on the boat, which may take several hours at times. You have to pay to take your car on the ferry, and then usually pay to park your car on the island, and gas prices are at least a dollar more than they are on the mainland. If you do plan on taking your car anyway, make sure you have a full tank before you leave the mainland if you don’t want to pay so much for gas. Once you get to the island, if you haven’t brought your car, there are bikes, mopeds and cars for rent.

The view from part of the bike path between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown

            We brought our mountain bikes and rode the bus, but mainly walked. I loved walking and biking around Oak Bluffs. The gingerbread houses are beautiful and all of them are unique. I love the big, beautiful porches, and I could spend my entire summer out on one. All I need is a chair, a hammock and a grill. Perfect. We rode our bikes down to Edgartown one day and continued on to South Beach. I would highly suggest going early in the day to this beach. It gets crowded in the afternoon, but earlier in the day it was so relaxing with the beautiful sand and the big waves. I’m not brave enough to go into the freezing New England ocean, but my husband loved playing in the waves.

The waves from South Beach

            While I loved the Victorian homes in Oak Bluffs, I think Edgartown was my favorite spot on the island. The architecture of this town is more the stereotypical New England with big cedar shingle houses with white trim. It was one of the more peaceful places I’ve ever been. There is a more mature vibe in Edgartown than Oak Bluffs (less kids) that I really liked. Walking around the neighborhoods was also really nice. It was striking how quite it was there, and by contrast how incredibly loud every place I have ever lived has been. I need to do something about that.

There were a few people just fishing their afternoon away on the Edgartown Pier

            So I think that was a pretty good introduction to Martha’s Vineyard for us. We weren’t there for long, which is hopefully something that we can fix for next time so we can see more like the Clay Cliffs of Aquinnah, take the ferry over to Chappaquiddick, check out the galleries in Vineyard Haven and of course more beaches. We have to find the perfect one after all. Maybe I’ll just move there one of these days for a few years to really take in the peaceful island lifestyle.