The summer months are upon us. School is out, bikinis are in, and backyard barbecues are fired up. Marking the start of Island Temptations' second year, we are really excited to bring you our Summer edition. From swimsuits to Harleys, windsurfing to mastering the art of grilling—this edition is our most diverse to date.

As the expression goes, "There are a million stories in the naked city," and we have discovered a bottomless wealth of stories to tell about this tiny Caribbean island. As our crew looks ahead to yet another year of bringing more of Aruba's sundry of culture and personalities to the forefront, we are also celebrating journalistic achievement as the recipient of an award presented by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). Our "hard work and dedication has been recognized and awarded for its excellence in promoting the Caribbean region," says the CTO.

The article that was praised was a part of our inaugural edition last summer. "Carnival gets Patriotic" featured our island's Champagne carnival group, who put together a jaw-dropping parade of red, white, and blue—complete with floats of the Liberty Bell and the White House—as a tribute to our American tourists. The people of Aruba, however, should be credited with the award for excellence in promoting the island, as our mission is just to give them a platform to share their talents and assetswith the rest of the world. These are the island's stories, and we are more than happy to be the messengers!

Rona Coster
Tina Causey-Escobedo
Ann Brown