Farewell Aruba

One last uninterrupted night of sleep.

One last run to the light house

One last view of the aqua sea

One last trip up the stairs to the restaurant where our week began.

 The air was hotter and heavier somehow today.  I was lost in my thoughts as I ran. The week had gone so quickly. Too quickly.  I missed my babies but I was not ready to take the last ride up the elevator and know it was all about to be over.  As my legs carried me closer and closer to the hotel and inevitably the end of a dreamy week, the Aruban skies opened up and gave me the perfect parting gift.  Rain.  Bucket loads of it.  

The clouds had teased of it all week, but never delivered.  The hot sun and ocean breeze had always won the battle with the clouds, but today the clouds were in charge of the skies.  I’d like to think it was just for me.  The down pour gave me my smile back, and put some pep in my step. 

One last hour to sink my toes into the sand.

One last swim in the balmy sea.

One last quiet hour to dive into my book while the sun soaked into my skin.  

At the end of the hour I reluctantly gathered my things from the beach and made that dreaded last trip up the elevator.  I showered and packed and then just before we closed the door to our room one last time,  the skies delivered yet again, and poured out the contents of the menacing grey clouds.  

One last trip in the Nissan with the missing emblem on the trunk.

One last drive through the round abouts that so easily set our tires to squealing.

One last trip past the McDonalds were countless ice cream sundaes were ordered throughout the week.  

One last drive past the Quicky Licky laundromat, the pharmacy that carried no medecine, the Super Mart where we purchased obscene amounts of soda, twice, and our homeboy George’s ATV rentals. 

My body is rested and relaxed.  My skin is brown.  My calf still shows evidence of the sea urchin sting.  My forearms are bruised from sand volleyball.  My face is still swollen where the little sand mosquitos snacked on me during our moonlit adventure to Baby Beach.  My arms ache to hug my little ones, but I what I would really like is quite simple.

One more day, and then maybe another...

Farewell Aruba!
*Written on the plane flying home