Hiccups and heavy hearts

Jamaica was tons of fun, but truth be told, there was a bit if not-so-niceness. I'd taken extra care to load up on sunblock and anti-bug spray, but my super (hyper?!) sensitive skin still got the best of me.  I went into the hotel's saltwater pool a couple of times, but stayed out of the ocean and out of the sun as much as possible.  The one day I spent entirely in shade, I still managed to get sunburn!  Blame it on the reflection off the water?

I got better before we left, but missed out on swimming in the ocean, which the gals did with the bride on the morning of the wedding.  I documented and relaxed on the private patio of the bride's room villa.  Not too shabby.

Although I had a great time with my gals, my thoughts did stray to DC every now and then.  How could they not?  This couple's engagement party was one of the last times DC and I hung out, and theirs was the first wedding I attended since our breakup.  Also, during the bride's mother's speech, I couldn't help but think that my mom would never have that opportunity; I will never know what she would have said to me on my wedding day.  So I cried a bit. And had a couple of drinks.

Reader, this disclosure is not meant to elicit pity!  There was rum, aye, there was. And dancing.  And good friends.  And new friends.  Which all equals a safe, uninhibited environment.  To be sad, yes, a little.  But above and beyond that, to be happy, to be in the moment. (Yes, I am happy, chatty, dancy when tipsy--quite a sight, I am told.)

I am learning that in the midst of mourning, there can be joy: much of life is a commingling of the two, and not just living in the extremes.  I will not be overcome by sadness, but choose to allow and choose to bask in the rays of light that shine into my life.

Thanks, C&B, for choosing to get married in Jamaica, where I got to see some more of your hearts, and have a great vacation to boot!  Thanks for putting that picture of all of us at karaoke in your wedding video!  Thanks, YPY, for encouraging me to travel, and for taking care of all the arrangements and being my soldier.  Thanks, MPN, for introducing me to the drunken coconut.  And thanks, Vinroy the Bartender, for scolding me when I thought I couldn't handle all the rum you poured into it: "You're on vacation, right mon?" "Um, yes." "Then you can handle it, mon."

All good, mon.

Gone and back

[rock house, negril]

This was my first destination wedding, and I was initially reluctant to go. But if I didn't go for the wedding, I'd probably never choose to go to Jamaica, so that was my compelling reason -- aside from the fact that my BFFs were going, too, and we haven't all travelled together in such a long time.  I'm so glad I went!

I got to stay at a boutique hotel that I probably never would have chosen for myself, and, on top of that, met a ton of new folks over the course of a few days as the wedding guests practically took over the hotel.  Lots of lounging by the pool, within easy access of the ocean as well as blended drinks! By the wedding day there was a lot of camaraderie -- one love, as the locals say.

Though destination weddings are meant to be smaller and therefore easier, this one was nearly 100 people!  The bride and groom arranged transportation for all guests from the airport to their respective lodgings (families stayed at another location) and anywhere they wanted to go during their stay.  They also arranged for a one-day tour (we opted to stay by the pool), and the mother of the bride prepared goodie bags for all guests, which included fans, umbrellas, canvas tote bags, and a reggae CD.

Where I was a bit skeptical before, I'm now totally diggin' the destination wedding!  Most of all, I'm happy for my friends (I actually got the tingles all weekend, which is really quite rare; and OMG the bride looked STUNNING in her dress and MyKo gave the BEST speech EVER), happy to have spent time with my gals, happy to have made new friends, and happy to have had some time to relax and even get a little tan.

Back to the grind.  But it's more manageable with reggae in the background. :)

Off (again)!

About to board a red eye flight. Headed east. Any guesses as to the destination? Reveal forthcoming!

And I'm not alone -- woot!