Leaving Raleigh

With a week to go until we officially move out (and I can't say I'm not looking forward to it...given the half-packed, cramped, mouldy, and currently being re-roofed status of my apartment, I can't but be glad to leave).

But, I have been thinking about things I'll miss (and NOT miss) about Raleigh, and the Triangle in general.

So, here goes:

What I'll Miss:

• The variety of food, in particular my favorite restaurants Jasmine's (Lebanese), the Tangerine Cafe (Thai), and Tandoor (Indian).
  
• All the performing arts in the area, in particular DPAC and seeing the Nutcracker at Memorial (even if one of the candy canes DOES always drop his hula hoop into the orchestra pit).
• Being here in the fall when the leaves change and the air gets crisp
• UNC in the spring, when the azaleas bloom
• All the libraries to choose from
• Downtown Raleigh and its very urban feel (but impossible-to-drive one-way streets)
• Having a hairdresser I like
• Being able to tell where someone is from in the state just by hearing them speak
• All the plants I'm used to (pine trees being only one example)
• My family being close
• Southern Season
  

What I WON'T Miss:

• The traffic! (even though I've come to learn to drive like a maniac in rush hour traffic, I've never learned to like it)
• Harris Teeter (my brief foray into Publix has me already looking forward to shopping there)
• It being cold in the winter
• Living inland,and the resulting terrible seafood

All in all, I'm sad to leave...but don't worry, I'll be back.

Married Life

Since Brian and I have now been married for 2 weeks, I thought it was time to write a post on how all the stress is gone and how wonderful it is.

*crickets*

Well, of course that hasn't happened. Primarily because a.) we've crammed all our stuff into my already-tiny one-bedroom apartment and b.) said tiny apartment flooded with water when my neighbor's water heater burst, and still has industrial fans in it trying to dry it out.

Plus this week we have to start packing up to move to Florida in 2 weeks, and as this is the third time in 3 years that I've moved, I'm not terribly excited...but I am more and more ready to leave the tiny apartment because of lack of space, and because the carpet is starting to mold.

I have to say though, it's fabulous to walk through the store and see wedding magazines, and go "I don't have to read those anymore!!!". I'm nearly finished writing thank-you notes for the truly fabulous wedding gifts we got, and once we move I'll actually have the space to use them.

Although it'll be strange to be 14 hours from family, instead of the 2 we're so used to, in a way it's like an adventure. That comes with a great townhouse. So I think I'm excited...now all I need is a job.

Humpty Dumpty Bride

With the wedding less than 9 days away, I feel like I'm perpetually cracking in half. I keep picturing myself, instead of in a white dress, as a giant white egg cracked down the middle.

At the risk of sounding like a very un-bride-like broken record, I will be so glad to be on the other side of this. I could hug (despite the fact that I feel incredibly uncomfortable hugging people) whoever came up with honeymoons. Never in my life have I need a vacation as much as I do right now.

Bad Bride

Yep, it's official--I'm a bad bride (also, apparently, a bad blogger).

I don't know about other brides, but I'm just ready for the stress and hoopla to be over. Admittedly, we've gotten most things done. But still...months ago when we were touring reception sites, I thought the wedding coordinator at the Sheraton who told me that wedding planning is a full-time job was crazy. It turns out, she wasn't.

It seemed like there weren't so many things to do...ceremony place, reception place, music, cake, food. HAHAHAHA. Excuse my slightly hysterical laughter.

There's also napkin and table covering choice, first dance songs, processional order for the reception, ceremony song choices (there are more of them than you think), going through books and books of invitations, wedding dress and all the many accompaniments (special underwear, sparkly headband, veil, shoes, earrings...), bridal portraits, wedding favors (sticking personalized labels on candy is NOT FUN), bridesmaid gifts, rehearsal dinner plans....

And of course, navigating the familial minefield that makes up mine and Brian's life. I won't go into it...I may need a flowchart and a heavy dose of therapy.

Honestly....I'm getting married because I'm looking forward to the marriage (well, most days...sometimes I think I'll miss having my own apartment, not to mention bed). It seems to me, given the many bridal magazines I've looked at and of course, liberal doses of Sex and the City, that most women that get married do it because they're looking forward to the wedding. No wonder so many people get divorced.

Here's hoping my wedding dread results in a fabulous marriage.

Getting my spark back

Brian said something recently that really stuck with me--my spark has darkened. I think he's right; over the past few years, I've let personal/work drama drag me down. Currently, job applications/rejections and the stress of finishing school/wedding planning/moving has gotten me down (cue several breakdowns recently).

But, I've decided that Florida is going to be a a new start. We'll be living somewhere new (an awesome two-story townhouse in the grad student housing section), meeting new people, and starting our married life. I'm leaving all the stress and drama behind me in NC.

That's not to say I won't have stress/drama in Florida, but what I can change is how I react to it. Even though I'm super nervous about moving into the unknown with no job lined up as yet, I'm excited for the change. I think it's been a long time coming and all I can do is embrace it.

In countdown news: 3 weeks till graduation. 49 days till the wedding.

Long, long overdue update

Yes, I know that I have shamefully neglected this blog in recent weeks. But, I've had a LOT going on!

Wedding planning! Figuring out where we're moving! Finishing school!

Ok, that's an excuse. But still.

As far as wedding planning, we've got most of the big details hammered out (my mom and Brian's mom are addressing the invitations back in New Bern as I write this), and despite some setbacks (Swoozie's, who originally was doing my invitations, went bankrupt and we had to switch vendors. We're really happy with the end result, done by The Write Image in Cary! Plus my bridesmaid dress was discontinued and David's Bridal kept getting the new choice mixed up which resulted in some disgruntled, confused customers), things are coming along. Now we're faced with the smaller details--what the choir is singing, what readings there are going to be, what the flowers are going to look like, what food is going to be served, etc.

As far as the future goes, Brian got into Ave Maria! We're going down in 2 weeks to check things out and hopefully sign a lease. I don't have any job prospects just yet, but I'm hopeful. We're also trying to find him some scholarships, since the government doesn't seem to want to fund doctorates in theology, and his eyesight is too good for scholarships in that area (you basically have to be truly blind to qualify).

As far as school goes, only 5 weeks and exams left! WHOO! I've lost all my motivation, and I feel like I'm already halfway in the future. It's a serious struggle to keep going to my internship and finish up my final papers. The end of an era is in sight, and the start of something new--Florida, married life, and a job of some kind--are on the horizon. It's terribly scary and terrifically exciting all at the same time.

Bridal Breakdown

Yes, it has happened. I've had my first Bridal Breakdown.

It was mostly precipitated by David's Bridal, who are showing themselves to be incredibly incompetent, and that's me being nice.

The story:
In December, I went to try on wedding dresses. It was a busy day, so I wasn't too upset the consultant wasn't paying too much attention, since I hate overbearing salespeople anyway. When I went in January to pick it up, though, I was pretty pissed off that when the saleslady wrote down the number on my dress, they wrote it down WRONG. So the dress they ordered was not only a dress I'd never seen, but it was also $107.75 MORE than the dress I wanted.

At the time, I was panicking so much that I didn't say much other than "fix it!". David's Bridal didn't offer any apologies, and at first didn't believe me...but eventually I got them to reorder the right one and give me the difference in money in store credit.

This past week, I went in for my first fitting..when I went to pay, I requested to put my store credit towards the fitting fee, and produced the exchange receipt. Which they then insisted they couldn't honor because I didn't have some coded card (which they never gave me). Then they tried to take the receipt. I finally got them to honor the store credit, but still no apologies for all of this.

In short...I nearly had a meltdown in the store.


Honestly, I don't ask for much. I'm usually pretty genial, and I ask that in return. David's Bridal: EPIC FAIL.

Besides the dress debacle, all the details to think about is making my grind my teeth more than usual. I've started to break out in a sweat (literally, I turn red and start sweating, it's not a pretty sight) whenever anything wedding comes up. By the end of the 2 1/2 hours I spent in Swoozies looking at invitations, I was dripping.

Combine this with 5 classes, 24 hours a week in internship, not having the SLIGHTEST idea where I'll be post-wedding or what I'll be doing...yeah, I'm freaking out. HELP!

Note: Make that 2nd breakdown. Man, this kinda sucks.