Enjoying the wedding atmosphere!
From late April until mid-May, we unsuccessfully bid for cheap flights on Priceline.com. We jumped on a (non-Priceline) $149 roundtrip ticket to Providence, RI, hoping the airline would overbook the flight on Friday evening so we could fly directly to Albany on Saturday morning. Failing that, we'd still get to spend extra time with my family, resulting in a win-win situation.
The addition to our family posed some challenges. Because we now had a puppy to think about, we gave serious consideration to driving up to New York for the 3-day weekend. If you've ever driven in long weekend traffic, you probably know that was not tops on our list.
The planets aligned for us that weekend. The first wonderful thing that happened was our roommate graciously agreeing to watch our little guy all weekend. The other wonderful thing was that Darwin stayed in his crate all night without any accidents while we were away! It set the precedent for keeping him in his crate in the living room overnight - which led to more restful nights when we returned!
Our travel plans worked out just fine. While our flight was delayed 2 hours out of Raleigh, it was not overbooked and we still made it to Providence, RI almost on time. Nothing like making up the time "in the air." We also had some smooth riding for the three hour drive from Rhode Island to Albany. My family was nice enough to drive us to western Massachusetts for the first part of the trip and Colin's parents were nice enough to pick us up and drive us the rest of the way to Albany. It was also really helpful that Colin's parents let us drive their second car all weekend!!
After freshening up and a quick snack, we were off to the afternoon wedding rehearsal, which was followed by cocktails and a catered meal in the garden of the house of the groom's mom. The weather complied with a perfect 80 degrees and even felt quite hot in the mid-day sun. Apparently we brought Raleigh with us, and the airline didn’t charge for extra luggage! It was great to catch up with Colin's friends, whom we only see a few times a year. Thankfully, most still live in the Albany area, so it's easy to see them when we visit Colin's family.
The big wedding day arrived on Sunday. In my typical "fashionably late" way, my late arrival resulted in not getting the best seat in the church. But I was grateful to sit in the back near the open door when I realized how hot it was in the church! I would call 80+ degrees in upstate New York in May, "unseasonably warm." Most people didn't have to worry about overheating though, because the church service was among the quickest I have attended. I'm sure the groom was grateful, considering how nervous he looked the whole time.
Mr. & Mrs. Paul and Lynn Hoffman
Partying with the Albany crew is almost always a good time. After a few drinks, most everyone is on the dance floor.
A group photo with the Bride and Groom
Friends over 15 years
It was nice to have Monday off as another travel day to get back to Rhode Island to then head back to Raleigh. Colin's friends who live in Boston were able to take us most of the way, which made it easier on my family. While our time was short in Rhode Island, we enjoyed a nice Memorial Day barbecue.
Coming back to Raleigh was exhausting. With all the excitement and adrenaline of traveling and a wedding behind us, the lack of sleep hit us when we returned. Thankfully, the memories of a good time made it all worth it.
How often do you get to see friends who live far away?
Do you find yourself only getting together for major events, like weddings?
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