Christmas In Aruba
By early November we needed to decide whether to sail further east, towards Aruba, or west, back to Panama. It was a tough decision but the weather always dictates. We had a perfect window to sail east to Aruba before the Christmas winds started blowing from the east, so we could always come back this way later.
Aruba was the perfect holiday spot after months in Central and South America. It felt like a real vacation with white sand, cruise ships coming and going, Starbucks, and access to a resort from the marina. It had all the things we wanted - restaurants, shopping, huge grocery stores and Christmas decor - along with things we didn’t realize we needed, like the donkey sanctuary, running paths, Dutch cheese, great snorkeling and flamingoes on the beach.
Upon arrival we met new boat friends on SV Balata and immediately invited them to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. When we learned about Aruba Fashion Week, we decided Moms and daughters needed to get dressed up and attend! Rosie and Maya had such a great time seeing the styles, walking the step and repeat and taking photos. This is Rosie’s second fashion show since living on the boat - not so bad!
In between decorating for Christmas and getting our holiday plans in order, we spent several mornings at the donkey sanctuary. We loved feeding the donkeys and the kids fell in love with the kittens. Although the kittens were up for adoption, Big Em is still a pet-free boat. But I’m not sure how long we can hold out!
Almost a week before Christmas, Jess’ best friend from college, Kristeena (Auntie KK), arrived from Oregon. Her visit was a surprise for the kids and it was epic. Rosie and Jordan were both more than a little worried that Christmas would not feel very special “just the four of us” while everyone at home had their family and traditions. When Rosie was in tears over it one night, we finally caved and told them Grammy and Grandaddy would arrive on Christmas Eve, but we kept Auntie KK’s visit a secret.
It was a great early gift and we got to spend some quality time with her, renting a jeep and going on a phenomenal hike to some ocean pools. She was new to boat life and settled in well, all of us trying to convince her to give up land life and come live with us!
Grammy and Grandaddy arrived on time on Christmas Eve and the festivities began in earnest with a Christmas Eve dinner on the beach. Santa came to Big Em and the kids got everything the hoped for - even the kid phone Rosie worked so hard to convince us she should get (it’s not a real phone - we’re holding out until at least 15!). Kyle wore his best Christmas jammies, the Hatchimal hatched, and we all enjoyed Christmas dinner on the boat.
The week after Christmas we moved anchorages and snorkeled some cool spots, including a plane wreck. We celebrated Hannukah with new boat friends on SV Ivy and got quality time with Grammy and Grandaddy. Everyone was gone by December 31st and I was the only one awake for the fabled fireworks that explode across Aruba at midnight. We are so grateful for our guests who truly made the holiday special. Happy new year to all from the southern Caribbean!
