The things no one tells you about life in Aruba

Life in Aruba: Time Slows Down

I lived in the city for over a decade, and time moved fast there. My calendar was always full. Productivity was my favorite modus operandi. Slow walkers were the bane of my existence.

My moments of tranquility were during scheduled yoga and meditation classes. Even then, I sometimes had trouble finding peace.

Aruba is different. I felt it each time I returned. The first few days felt like a reset period. I’d be restless. What are all of these people doing, lazing around when they should be using their time wisely? I would think.

All of that empty space in my calendar... How could I possibly fill it without getting bored?

In the city, I never had enough time. Suddenly, in Aruba, I had too much.

But after a few days, you get used to it. Then, you start to appreciate it. It’s also what makes remote work in Aruba so appealing. The island’s slower rhythm helps you balance productivity with moments of calm you rarely find elsewhere.

After a while, you can’t imagine ever going back.

Embracing the Quiet Joys of Island Life

You see, in the city, you don’t stop to notice when the birds are chirping.

But now, when I hear the birds in the morning, I know I’m home.

The island helps me slow down and appreciate the little things.

How big can a problem really be when you’ve got sand between your toes? When you’re submerged in blue water, with the open sky above you?

Aruba puts things in perspective for me like no other place can.

Sometimes all you need is the people you love and the reminder that life is happening right now.

The Heart of Community in Aruba

In the city, I never said hi to my neighbors. If I needed a hammer, I’d buy one instead of asking. Over time, that kind of distance just felt normal.

Aruba flips that on its head. Here, family and community are everything. Did you cook too much food? Call your neighbor. Feeling down? Call your friends. Sharing is ingrained in the culture.

Food is a big part of that generosity. On the island, it’s completely normal to bring a plate to someone else’s house or for neighbors to drop by with whatever they just cooked. Even abroad, when you meet another Aruban, you feel it instantly.

And the funny thing is, after a while, you notice yourself changing too. You start sharing more freely, greeting strangers, and realizing how good it feels to belong somewhere that values people over things.

Holidays in Aruba: A Unique Celebration

No one does Christmas or New Year’s like Aruba. The entire island transforms. Houses are covered in lights, music drifts through neighborhoods, and the smell of ayacas and ham di pasco fills every kitchen.

New Year’s Eve is its own spectacle. The streets echo with firecrackers all day. When midnight strikes, the sky blazes with fireworks from every direction. Families light long strings of pagaras (firecrackers that run for minutes) right outside their homes, and the whole island hums with celebration.

What makes it even more special is the sense of reunion. This is the time when students and expats return, so suddenly the island feels fuller and livelier.

You run into old friends at the New Year's party and have brunch together on January 1st, after everyone has stayed up all night.

Nature: A Constant Companion in Aruba

Goat gangs block the roads on their morning strolls. Wild donkeys wander near the cliffs. Iguanas scurry across the pavement like they own it. If you wake up early enough, you’ll hear parakeets chattering from the trees.

The landscape itself is alive with history.

Along the rugged coastline, you find million-year-old fossils pressed into rock, cacti forests standing tall against the wind, and limestone caves carved by centuries of waves.

A walk in Arikok National Park feels more like stepping into another world than a simple hike.

After years in the city, where nature is a manicured park or a tree-lined street, you forget what it’s like to feel this connected. On the island, nature is a constant reminder that you’re just a small part of something much bigger.

Island Time: The Unique Pace of Life

The stereotypes about island time are true.

But you get used to it.

And then you even start to enjoy it.

In Aruba, arriving “on time” often means you’re early. Parties start late, handymen show up when they show up, and no one’s rushing.

It can seem frustrating when the whole island operates on a schedule of its own. But once you accept it, you realize there’s a rhythm to it—and it works.

What It All Comes Down To...

Life here isn’t perfect, but Aruba puts things in perspective like nowhere else.

Problems feel smaller when you’re barefoot in the sand. Community feels stronger when neighbors bring over food without asking. And even time itself feels different when everyone is moving to the same rhythm.

Living in Aruba teaches you generosity, patience, and joy in the simplest things. Once you settle into it, it’s hard to imagine ever going back.

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