Category Archives: Podcast

EP19: Relocating to Aruba With Cheryl Talcof

Joining me for this 19th episode of One Happy Podcast is Cheryl Talcof. Having first visited Aruba in 1972 Cheryl had visited the island for 40 years right up until the time she decided to make a permanent move. Now she lives there year round and is here to tell us about about what it’s like for a North American living on Aruba.

Throughout this episode Cheryl takes us on a journey that begins with her visiting a little known piece of rock in the Caribbean all the way through her permanent move to the island. Over the course of this interview you gain an insight into Aruba that not many tourists will ever know.

Sure we have all dreamt of making the move from our normal lives to a dream life in paradise but Cheryl actually did it. If this is a dream that you have had you will definitely want to listen to this episode to see if moving is something you truly want to pursue further. If you have already decided that relocating is something you WILL be doing in the future then you definitely will want to hear everything Cheryl has to say about life in Aruba.

EP15: Rescuing Aruba’s Dogs with Marie Geerman

Joining me today on episode 15 of “One Happy Podcast – the Officially Unofficial Podcast of the Island of Aruba” is longtime Aruba-phile Marie Geerman. Marie has been traveling to Aruba for nearly 30 years and even lived there for about a decade. Being that Marie is married to an Aruban and has an Aruban born son saying she has a special connection to the island would be a gross understatement.

Marie’s connection actually goes much further than the people who are important to her, the animals of Aruba also occupy a very large space in her heart. When visiting Aruba it’s hard to not notice the stray dogs roaming the streets eeking out an existence. When Marie made the move to Aruba she did more than just notice these animals… alot more.

Through the course of this episode you will hear all about Marie’s connection and dedication to those animals. A dedication that started in the early 90’s and continues to this very day. Now this isn’t your typical episode of One Happy Podcast. While I hope every episode touches you in some way, none of them will touch you quite like this episode.

EP14: Daniel Putkowski Takes Us An Island Away

Joining me on this episode of One Happy Podcast is best selling Author Daniel Putkowski. Daniel is the author of several books including the iconic aruba based An Island Island Away and its followup Under a Blue Flag. Additionally Daniel also has a fantastic travel blog called the Bentpage that is one of my favorite sources for information about the part of Aruba that is off the tourist trail.

Daniel first visited the island more than 20 years ago on business and has been going back nearly every year ever since. Due to the way he was introduced to Aruba, Daniel was welcomed into the Aruba social scene in a way not many can claim. It was this insiders of Aruba and particularly the once booming refinery town of San Nicolaas that made his first book An Island Away so authentically awesome!

EP13: Alyssa and Louis Take a Holiday Inn Aruba

Joining me on this episode of One Happy podcast is a repeat guest, the multi-talented Louis Johnson. Louis was a guest on episode 6 of the show but this time has brought along a surprise, Aruba first-timer his lovely girlfriend Alyssa.

Back in February Alyssa and Louis were fortunate enough to be able to escape the harsh New York winter for an incredible week at the Palm Beach Aruba Holiday Inn. They picked a great time as the Northeast United States was pelted once again pretty much as soon as they touched down

On this episode you will hear Alyssa and Louis talk about the Aruba Holiday Inn and the recent changes (both good and bad) they’ve made, Aruba Carnival, snorkeling at Baby Beach and much more. If you ask me the real treat you get to see it through the eyes of a newbie.

EP12: Stephen’s Excellent Aruba Culinary Experience

Joining me today on One Happy Podcast is International man of mystery Stephen from Toronto or act1966 if you are a member of the forums at aruba.com. A lover of Aruba, Stephen was kind enough to stop by the podcast to talk about why he feels Aruba is special.

On this episode you will hear Stephen and I talk about what its like to go from subzero temperatures to the constant meteorological perfection of Aruba. You will also hear about some of the benefits to renting a villa, something I know many of you have questions about.

One of the big focuses of this episode of One Happy Podcast is the Aruba restaurant scene. Stephen and I discuss just how amazing it is that an island so small is able to provide such an outstanding culinary experience. If you are a foodie this is definitely an episode you won’t want to miss.

Ep10: Desiree Eldering Introduces Us to the Aruba Donkey Sanctuary

On this episode of One Happy Podcast I have the pleasure of interviewing Desiree Eldering the Managing Director of the Aruba Donkey Sanctuary. Desiree was kind enough to stop by to tell me all about the Aruba Donkey Sanctuary and its inhabitants.

Now the average tourist visiting Aruba probably never leaves the beaches of Aruba. Those lucky few tourists who do venture off the beaten path to this Aruban treasure will be able to see and interact with some of the 130+ donkeys cared for at the Sanctuary.

On this episode I spend just under 30 minutes talking to Desiree and one thing that is abundantly clear from the interview is how much she loves the Donkey. So if you are traveling to Aruba and want to do something a bit out of the ordinary, the Aruba Donkey Sanctuary is a great place to start.