Most of my travels to international destinations are motivated by academic and research-oriented pursuits. But this summer, I flew to Aruba for an extended 5-day weekend to celebrate the end of my fraternity brother's bachelorhood. What better way for 15 of his closest buds to send him off than to throw a bachelor party in the Carribean?
We rented a spacious villa, complete with a backyard pool, multiple stories, and other amenities. Wi-Fi wasn't included in the package, but I think all of us needed a digital detox from the real world. Although the neighborhood we were located in felt pretty touristy in guarded gates, there were many parts of Aruba that we saw along the way to the villa that showed how poverty-stricken some of its most desolate and rundown areas could be.
Our days in the Carribean were filled with group activities. We ATVed around the island's perimeter, cruising shirtless at high speeds through dessert terrain. We took periodic breaks to swim in the crystal blue waters of the Aruban beaches. Sunblock and bug spray were a must—we continuously applied chemicals on ourselves to avoid sunburns and the apparently rampant Zika scare. We also went fly fishing on turbulent waters, collecting catching and reeling in six large fish and frying them the following morning.
The nights spent in Aruba brought back so many college experiences, to say the least. We ventured through some clubs and casinos for the cheap thrills. And when we wanted a late-night snack, we went to the local Wendy's—we went every damn day we were there because it was apparently that good. It wasn't until our last night in Aruba when we had an authentic Aruban dinner, and woven throughout the trip were mini-toasts for David's next life adventure with Alice.
Since I left Seattle for grad school, I hardly get to see the guys who shaped a large part of my formative undergrad years. My favorite type of gatherings post-college are the epic reunions that happen in weddings and bachelor parties. At least for a weekend, the boys were back in town. And suspending the PhD hustle for even just a little while revives me with the energy, support, and clarity I need to keep at it.
We rented a spacious villa, complete with a backyard pool, multiple stories, and other amenities. Wi-Fi wasn't included in the package, but I think all of us needed a digital detox from the real world. Although the neighborhood we were located in felt pretty touristy in guarded gates, there were many parts of Aruba that we saw along the way to the villa that showed how poverty-stricken some of its most desolate and rundown areas could be.
The nights spent in Aruba brought back so many college experiences, to say the least. We ventured through some clubs and casinos for the cheap thrills. And when we wanted a late-night snack, we went to the local Wendy's—we went every damn day we were there because it was apparently that good. It wasn't until our last night in Aruba when we had an authentic Aruban dinner, and woven throughout the trip were mini-toasts for David's next life adventure with Alice.
the neighborhood we were located in felt pretty touristy in guarded gates
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