The Honeymoon!

I am so excited that we are moving toward planning the honeymoon! We have been talking about places to go, what to see - the world is your oyster, right? A resort vacation on a sandy beach (while it sounds absolutely lovely on this February morning) just doesn't seem like our style. A trip to Europe would be lovely, but is somewhat out of our price range. Plus, we're already flying to CA to attend our wedding - who wants to get on another plane and fly somewhere else? Because we live so far away from some of our family and friends, we don't get to see everyone as often as we'd like. We have friends and family coming in from, literally, all over the world, so we'd like some time to spend with you! We thought about a plane flight to Hawaii or something like that, but leaving after seeing everyone for just a few hours doesn't seem right. We want the opportunity to stick around Ventura, hang out with as many people as we can, and thank our families and friends for making our wedding a success. It made sense that we might drive somewhere a few days after the wedding, somewhere not too far away, but that would be a new experience for both of us. We kept coming back to a generous offer by a lovely couple we met on a tour last September....

So, this past September, my parents invited us on a Model T tour of Yellowstone and surrounding Wyoming and Montana. My Dad has a 1921 Ford Model T which he just loves to drive around and explore the countryside. We met my parents in Jackson Hole, WY and we set off on a tour around the area, including the Grand Tetons, Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs and several different towns around the edges of Yellowstone. It was a great time. We met some really fun people who all drive Model Ts, saw an area of the country neither one of us had been to, drove up and down some crazy mountains, and even witnessed a wedding! There is something completely lovely about seeing the country from an open top car, going about 35mph. We could smell the buffalo - and if they decided to come toward us? Eeeeeek! That area of the country is wonderfully amazing, and the scenery changes with every mile. We had a wonderful time and we met some great folks on this trip, including Lin and Judy, who offered us their cabin in Yosemite for our honeymoon! How amazing is that?

Now, if you know Alex, you know that he is really into camping, hiking, just being outdoors in general. I have been telling him since we first started dating that he has to see Yosemite, it's just the most amazing place. The granite rocks, the water falls, the giant redwood trees - all of it, I know he would love. So, this ends up being the perfect honeymoon for us! Alex is already checking maps and looking for places to backpack and hike. He's planning the different permits we'll need, what equipment he'll bring. And I can't think of a better honeymoon.

I'm beginning to understand the saying, "It takes a village". Wedding planning is not a solo project, and having people in our lives who help and support us, from the enthusiastic excitement for our upcoming wedding, to generous offerings of places to honeymoon or lodgings for our friends, I cannot begin to express how much it all means to us. We feel so blessed to have people in our lives who are willing to contribute, in whatever way, to our wedding and our marriage. It makes the planning of the wedding so meaningful for us, and it reminds us that we're not alone in this life, that we have so many people who love and support us. No matter who we've talked to, our friends and family have always said, "How can we help?"So, thank you, from two overworked grad students. Thank you for your love, support and generosity. It really means the world to us, we can't thank you enough!