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Living as a Part-Time Expat in Aruba
Recently, a group of friends helped me prioritize some questions from an AMA about being a part-time expat in Aruba. They selected the following questions about living there, and my time living on the island.
I have lived as a part-time expat in Aruba for more than 20 years, moving between the US and the island. Often, I spend several months at a time on the island, and I have developed many close friendships and family relationships there. I often say I wasn’t born in Aruba, but I was reborn there…
Below are the questions my friends chose, and my answers to each.
Q: What motivated you to choose Aruba as your part-time expat destination?
BH> I first visited Aruba in 1999 on a vacation, staying at the Bushiri resort. That resort is gone now, torn down years ago, but at the time it was a part of the hospitality school. I fell in love immediately with the desert island flora and fauna. Then, I fell in love with the people. Arubans are generally among the friendliest, most accepting, and open cultures I have ever seen. They continually amaze me at how much warmth and hospitality are woven deep into the culture.
Later, as we began to return a couple of times a year, I made more friends on the island and eventually met the couple that…
