rarely do i get the chance to sit back and reflect on this board but after the death of my friend and a few relatively quiet days and therefore a reason or two to contemplate life, i suddenly realized it was during this time 4 years ago that a few of us got to test out the 'new visit aruba bulletin board'. on 25 march 2004, daphne and mark signed up as the first members and the rest of us got an official sign in date of 15 april 2004 although our testing started before that. it was a few weeks later that i actually found out what many of you had known from the first day...that i was the moderator. it seems i was the last to know.

during those four years i have learned a lot of things. 1. most people in this world are nicer than i thought. 2. some people in this world aren't as nice as i thought. 3. i am not as nice as i thought.

many things have changed. the first is the color of my hair i(sure has gotten more gray in it), the shape of my body (numerous times), i think i have gotten an inch shorter, and i have aches where i didn't used to even have body.

however, the most important thing that has changed is that i have added some of the most wonderful people into my life. losing a friend really makes you realize what you do have in life. i have nearly 6,000 new acquaintances and multiple new friends that i cherish with all of my heart. many of you also have met each other and have become friends.

so, on 15 april i hope you will all drink a toast to bb.visitaruba.com and too each other. we have started with little and gained a lot.

thanks you all!

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Sherry ~ To begin with let both Miss Judy and I say that we are very sorry for the loss of your friend..We to can attest to the many wonderful people on this board (you being one) Having never met you I know you have a heart of gold, as well as they people that we have met.
Life is way to short, but the friedship on this board goes way beyond that
God Bless All of You
Tico & Miss Judy

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Home is where the heart is and my heart is in Aruba

4 years??? Holy cow... I was just a young thing!

I remember whining how I hated the format, and didn't get it, and never would!

I've been lucky... I got to meet sherry and murray, corrine and steve, kevin, charlie, the big papa and georgene, mafalda, tico and judy (officially)... gina, liz (barbiesara) charles and I'm sure I've missed someone. What's so nice is .... the day I got to meet these people in person it's like I knew them forever.

Thank you to Daphne and Mark for giving us this board, and a special thank you for "appointing" sherry as the moderator. She is definitely my soul sister, and a dear friend.

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Well, it is hard to believe it's been 4 years since I joined this neat little community that I found quite by accident. It has been such a wonderful experience for me. I have gone through so much in this time, and you all, my friends, have been here to share the good and the bad. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you that share a story, or your vacation trips and tips, and also give me a glimpse of your lives...it helps me know that my life isn't so different. To sherry our moderator, our queen....I am honored to call you my friend, even though we have not met in person (YET), but it will happen. And thank you and Daphne and Mark for making this possible. I have met some people in person, some that post here and some who don't...but that doesn't matter, we all have a common denominator...our little island....a gem in the ocean...a place we all call home. So, I would just like to say "Thank you to all of you for being here and making this special place just that...special.
May we have many more happy years together talking about our Happy Little Island that is ARUBA!
ruba

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Sherry . My prayers for you. Thanks for all the time and the wealth of info you offer many of us bewildered touists to Aruba. All I can say is you must be wonderful person to do what you do and care so much for all of us. I hope we can somehow be of some help to you. Congrads on 4yrs. It is so hard to believe.
Tina

Elaine ~ you are still young...and very beautiful too
Tico & Miss Judy

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Home is where the heart is and my heart is in Aruba

Thank you tico, that's very sweet.

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Come April 15, I'll gladly raise a toast to sherry and to this board. I had never even lurked on a message board before but I kind of got sucked into the format back during the summer of 2005 when Aruba was in the news. I guess it's safe to say that I came to visit and decided to stay (or, in the words of the immortal Grateful Dead, "been here so long I got to calling it home").

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

It is hard to believe that 4 years has passed since you took over.

I do remember the old visitaruba board where all the post and topics were stacked on top of each other. No organization and all the different spam Names and all the nonsense that went on before you arrived and saved that board and how much it has improved and now REALLY looks like a board. That had to be at least 2 to 3 years before you arrived Sherry I remember being on the old board in 2002 and 2003.

I am glad that I have stayed around all this time. And despite some rough bumps along the way some being from my part I have enjoyed my self here it has been a great improvement so on April 15th I will say happy Birthday to vistaruba.com And raise a glass to toast

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Born to raise Hell and enjoy every minute of it. Hawklords

Ah yes, the old days. That original BB was how I first came to know some of you intimately, making friends and enemies along the way. We've all sort of grown up together just like the dysfunctional families many of us came from, and shared so many colorful stories about. When the format changed to this 'new' board, I was a newlywed and my feet were barely even wet, both with marriage and with the taste of Aruba. Oh and like Sherry, I was one of the last to know that I was a moderator.

A few short years later, I'm divorced and living in the Keys, and missing Aruba as much as any person or place I've ever known. It feels like 10 years has gone by! Life has a way of doing that...

I'm blessed to have met many of you both on the BB and in person. At the same time I'm cursed to be in such a remote location (OK cursed isn't the right word) and unable to see the core group like I used to. Sherry, if you could please arrange a BB party in Key West I'd greatly appreciate it. I miss you

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I second the motion for a bb party in Key West!

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

kevin, that quote isn't true. i let you know the day before i left for aruba that you were now a moderator. i even spent 30 minutes teaching you how to do it.

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Congrats to Daphne, Sherry and everyone else who have worked so hard to make this board the way it is!! It looks great and the people are all super (except some Red Sox fans....) Sherry, Elaine, Charlie, Kevin, Liz, Chris -- all are as nice in person as they are here!

BB party in Key West?? Count me in!

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Party in Key West....I'm in too!! Kevin, can we all stay with you??
ruba

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partayyyyyyyyyyy in Key West??? When???

ruba, we can go together!!!

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Elaine...it's a date...Key West would never be the same!!!

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Come on down, there's plenty of room for everyone! FantasyFest is in October, in case you need a good time of year to target

Oh and Sherry I do remember you training me, I was just alluding to the fact that rec'd a congratulatory message from another member before I knew anything had happened. I was a quick study too - back in those days we were banning several members every day!

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