Months ago, I wrote about my back injury and how it prevented me from writing about what would have been some wonderful travel experiences including a trip to Kenya at the Tribe Hotel and a series of safaris organized by Anastasia’s Africa. Even worse, I missed an opportunity to meet Neil Armstrong before he died.

Thanks again to all of you who offered your sympathy and great advice. So often I was encouraged that I would eventually heal and that I would soon be back on a plane to write more stories. But how does anyone really know when that time, if at all, will actually happen when it comes to a ruptured disc?

Well that time has come and, I’ve been ready to roll! I was given the full go ahead by all of my great doctors, and I started out by writing about trips to places a little closer to home like New York City and Lake George.

So where to go to get my full travel groove back? I searched for the ideal place with just the right ingredients. Beautiful sunny location. Relatively close by plane. A nice mix of relaxation and adventure. And, of course, the foodie in me needed a collection of great restaurants.

And then my wish was granted when Lisa Schwartz from Diamond Public Relations invited me on a press trip to visit the  Aruba Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino earlier this December. Called “Trade White Snow for White Sand,” the trip  promised to highlight why the Aruba Marriott was an ideal getaway for Northeasterners seeking an escape from the cold winter months (especially right about now!)

I’ve traveled to many places around the world, but I had never gotten the chance to visit this Dutch island located in the Southern Caribbean Sea.

With one stopover, it took me a little more than 7 hours to travel from Albany International Airport to this sunny place that’s less than 17 miles away from Venezuela .

It was a great trip that fulfilled so many of my travel desires including the chance to visit a selection of unusual places to eat.

Next: Foodie delight in Aruba.