Back to America via Aruba - Touring Tuesday

Packing up your entire life to fit into a shipping container and a few suitcases is no easy task.  Actually, it's downright exhausting.

Before leaving London was ever set, we talked about taking a holiday as a part of the journey back to America. We thought a lengthy stay in Australia would be a great final stamp in the passport. As wrapping up life in the UK got in the way, we had to scrap Australia. The planning for a trip like that could not be done on the fly, and we were honestly so tired that there was no way we would enjoy such a worthy destination. 

Our holiday pitstop location had to change. What better way to recharge the batteries & get over jet lag, than some time on a warm beach? 

The family stayed in Aruba from Saturday through Wednesday before Christmas. The time difference between London & Aruba was only four hours, but everyone passed out by 7:30 each night. That meant everyone was up & at 'em by 6AM the next morning; we actually had to wait for breakfast service to start!

After breakfast, the remainder of the day was outside. Time in the pool dominated because we happened to be the only people there most of the time, aside from a few lizards. 

The beach, however, was jammed! The water was beautiful and the waves were the perfect height for both kids to enjoy.  

Aruba is not a culinary hot bed. We immediately figured that out on the taxi ride to our hotel: KFC, Hard Rock Cafe, Burger King, Benihana, Hooters, Señor Frogs, and TGIFridays. We scoped out a few local places, but the quality wasn't stellar. It was fine, but nothing I'd say you must eat. That could also be since the prices were outrageous! Many of the food items are imported so we were not surprised at the prices, but the pastas & pizzas were not remotely worthy of the prices listed on the menu.

Then again, it was 85 degrees and sunny - we got over the mediocre food.  

Would I rush back to Aruba?  Probably not.  There are many other islands in the sea to visit, which I bet are somewhat similar.  It certainly fit our criteria for a recharge before the busy Christmas holiday.  

A4 Update - January 2016

Today is my first chance to open Blogger to write a blog post. It's been a super busy month!

The family rang in 2016 with a sleep over at our college friends' house. Time with friends was just what we needed after the busy holidays with family.  

We arrived in Raleigh on 4 January. The flight from Chicago was comically short. Without any furniture at the new house, we spent the first week in a corporate apartment.    

Our container arrived on 15 January, and we promptly slept in our new digs. Happy to say that by the end of the month almost all of the boxes were empty (the photo above is only about 1/3 of the boxes).  The only boxes left are those that await a home on yet to be purchased shelves.    

The return to reality happened fast when we bought two cars. Public transportation just isn't the same as London. ;)

I thought enrolling the children in school would be a piece of cake compared to London, but I was mistaken. Look for a post about that soon, but so far both kids are happy with school, whew.

Maybe that's because they hardly attended school once they enrolled. They started on a Wednesday and promptly had an early release day that Friday. Then the next week brought Martin Luther King Jr. day, an institute day, and 2 1/2 days off due to a huge ice storm! All told they went to school 8 days in January. No need to call the truant officer, it's all good now.  

Matt traveled back to Europe for meetings in Dublin & Warsaw to finish up pursuits he started before we left. Hopefully his travel back to Europe isn't a trend.

Holly's parents spent a week at the house helping with a few home improvement projects. Dad was brave to climb the extension ladder to wash the windows that seem to be 100 feet off the ground. Mom used her sewing skills to make Oldest Kiddo a Greek dress from a bed sheet for class. They also kindly returned the items we stored in their basement whilst in London. The Kitchen Aid mixer has returned, and it already made cookies & muffins.  I sure missed that machine.  

The home improvement projects don't stop. Some are to fit the way we live such as replacing the grossly inefficient master closet organizer.  Others are imperative such as the bathroom sink that leaks into the cabinet below.  That's the joy of home ownership, right?

The weather in NC is absolutely gorgeous, aside from the ice storm a week ago.  We had lunch on the deck the other day when the temperature was 72F.  Not a bad thing for January.

Stay tuned to see what February holds. We need to get out and about in Raleigh to enjoy our new home town!