Favorite Moments from 2013

B asked me the other day what my favorite moments were of the past. Of course the wedding and honeymoon were up high on the list, but I had to think a little to come up with all 5. After some reflection, I think I came up with a pretty good list.

Starting at 5....

5. Seeing our new apartment in Charlotte for the first time. We had to sign our lease sight-unseen so we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. After a very long day driving across half the country, we pulled into our new "home", and to say we were relieved would be an understatement. It took us a while to really make Charlotte our home, but it has been very good to us this year.

4. Either Baylor winning the Big 12 Championship or Baylor beating OU. Basically, my 4th favorite moment was Baylor's amazing season! I couldn't be prouder!

3. Sitting at a winery in Fredricksberg, TX with some of my best friends in the world for my Bachelorette. There is nothing better than time with good friends who you don't see very often. I had the best time at my bachelorette party and at our last stop we just sat around a table together drinking wine, eating cheese, and chatting. Perfection.

2. Laying on a beach in Aruba with no where else to go and nothing else to do. Our honeymoon was one of the best vacations I have ever been on. And it was exactly what we needed. A nice relaxing week on a beach, reading a good book and drinking cheap beer.

 

1. Standing hand-in-hand with my soon-to-be husband at the wedding alter. I was a nervous wreck before walking down the aisle, but once I got down there and was facing the beautiful San Diego Bay and standind next to B, I was at total peace and completely happy.

 

Happy New Year! What were your favorite moments from 2013?

 

One Happy Island

Aruba likes to say that they are "one happy island", and after spending one glorious week there, both B and I can attest to that. The people are incredibly friendly, and it is impossible to be in a foul mood when the weather is constantly a pleasant 80 degrees and sunny.

 

 B planned our entire honeymoon. I actually wanted little to do with any of it since I was in the midst of planning our wedding. All I knew is that we were going to Aruba and the days we would be there. I literally knew nothing else.

The resort that B picked was voted the #1 more romantic hotel on the island. The Bucuti Beach Resort is a small, boutique resort located in the low rise part of the island (the low-rise resorts are on one part of the island, and the high-rise resorts are on another). One of the major selling points is that is adults only, which we greatly appreciated. Being so much smaller than other resorts, the Bucuti paid a lot attention to detail. When we arrived, we received a glass of champagne and a cool, mint-scented towel. They also provided us with a bottle of champagne in our room since we were on our honeymoon.

The best thing about the honeymoon is that we had no plans what-so-ever. We didn't feel the need to do any sight-seeing or excursions - we just sat on the beach, read our books, and drank. The water was gorgeous and always the perfect temperature - cooler than the air around you, but warm enough that it never felt cold.

One of the days we did break from routine and headed out to the other side of the island.  Instead of perfect sand beaches, like the western side, the eastern side of the island is sand dunes and steep cliffs - definitely not inhabitable. But it is incredibly beautiful.

That same day we also drove down to the southern part of the island, to a small beach called Baby Beach. Name that way because of it's shallow waters and the protection it gets from a sand bar a few yards out from the shoreline.

Overall, the food in Aruba is great. There were a lot of restaurants recommended to us, and for the most part, no one steered us wrong. My best friend recommended that we try the Flying Fishbone one night, which was probably the best recommendation. You literally sit on the beach, toes in the sand. Some tables were actually in the water. It was amazing to be sitting, eating dinner, and peer over into the water and watch fish swim and crabs crawl around.

I would highly recommend Aruba (and definitely the Bucuti) if you are looking for a beach vacation. B and I are already trying to plan a trip back!

Honeymoon Checklist

In a couple weeks B and I will be headed off on our honeymoon. As I have stated multiple times, we have been looking forward to the honeymoon more than the wedding. Any opportunity to lay on beach, drink, and relax sounds like a blast to me.

B planned the whole honeymoon himself. I tried to have as little input as possible. To be honest, during the wedding planning process, I did not want to be bothered with making any extra decisions, so if it wasn't that important to me, I made B make the decision. He ended up picking Aruba as our destination. Neither of us has been before and we have heard great things. It is also only a 4 hour direct flight from Charlotte, which means we won't lose a lot of time traveling.

I am getting so excited, that despite still being a couple weeks away, I am already planning my packing list and making plans of all the things I want to do while we are there.

1. Swimsuit 2. Book 3. Sandals 4. Cover Up 5. Sunscreen 6. Sunglasses

If you have ever been to Aruba, I would love to hear about any restaurants, shops, or activities you recommend! Or, if you have recently been on your honeymoon, is there something you wish you and your husband did or wish you had packed?

Honeymoon Plan D

This weekend, B and I had a very serious talk. There was some bickering. Some name calling. A few F-bombs exchanged.

What were we discussing?

Where to go on our honeymoon.

Basically, B wants to go everywhere. South Africa, Brazil, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Argentina, Hawaii, Bora Bora, Aruba, the Caribbean.

Normally, he is the rational one in the relationship so I get to be the frivolous one. But now I am forced to be the rational one, which does not suit me well.

We are getting married in October and taking our honeymoon over Thanksgiving week because I don't have a ton of vacation time like he does. But taking a honeymoon so late in the year means that our options are limited. And needless to say, funds are limited as well. So basically we need to find some place we both want to go to, we can afford to go to, doesn't take forever to travel to, and where the weather will be decent.

Do you know how many places that eliminates? A LOT!

We have narrowed it down to 3 options. We are going to keep an eye out for deals and if plan A doesn't work out, then we will fall back on B, and so on. Here are our options:

Plan A: Argentina

Los Andes, Mendoza, Argentina

Neither B and I have been to South America, so that is a huge plus. Our time frame actually works in our favor for Argentina because it will be their Spring, almost Summer. Also, if we can find a great deal on airfare, then the trip could be very reasonable. Argentina offers a lot of great travel options like beaches and wineries, plus we could explore their cultural and historical sites.

Plan B: Tuscany

Tuscany, Italy

The weather may not be balmy and it may not be a great place to just sit on the beach and relax, but we could probably find a pretty good deal on airfare if we keep an eye out. I have been to Rome and surrounding areas a couple times, but would love to go back. It is a huge con for B though. He would rather go somewhere I haven't been. But I think B would love to explore the area and all the history that comes with it, and honestly I would love to see it through his eyes.

Plan C: Hawaii

Maui, Hawaii

A lot of pros for honeymooning in Hawaii. Same currency, cell phone service works, great weather, relaxing beaches, affordable airfare. The list goes on. B has family friends that own a condo out there, so we could even try to get them to gift that to us for our wedding, which would cut back on some major costs. But both B and I have been there before and I think we would would like to see some place new.

I guess we really can't go wrong with any of those. Plan D, if all else fails, is to just go to the beaches of South Carolina or Florida and live it up BIG.

Did you have this kind of trouble picking out a vacation spot?

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