Musings from an Anchored Traveler: September 2015

So it's September, and I've been married three months. And my husband and I both have new jobs and life is flying by at the speed of light and I'm a terrible blogger. Point in case: I haven't written on this thing since April. I suppose I'm too busy living life to reflect on it? Perhaps. It is seriously insane how fast time goes - I feel like I'm going to wake up tomorrow and be fifty! How come time didn't go this quickly in those long years of middle and high school, where all I wanted to do was get to college?

Sometimes I'm thankful for the time going by quickly. Like on work days. Now that I'm working at Bank of America as a contractor, as opposed to at CBCC where I barely had time to eat, time at work sometimes lags. The fact that I'm not busy 100% of the time has come as something of a shock, but apparently, this is normal?? In many ways, I'm much happier. I have a manager who doesn't really care where I'm working from (thus I work from home every Friday) and no crazy HR women to tell me my skirt is .5 inches too short or chastise me for wearing a warm hat when it's snowing outside. I love the freedom of corporate life - people are treated like adults. Insane! What I'm doing isn't that fascinating - a lot of writing and editing around annual enrollment for bank employees. Needless to say, I now know an incredible amount about benefits - which has actually come in quite handy when Matt and I had to enroll in a healthcare plan through Red Ventures, his new workplace. I also have the opportunity to take nice walks outside in Uptown Charlotte, which I never could have done at CBCC for fear of being mugged. lol Finally, with other friends working uptown as well, it's nice to have lunch companions upon occasion.

Matt, so far, is having a rough start at his new job. Red Ventures, while a very cool and luxurious working environment (they have an indoor basket ball court, bowling alley, gym and more), has proven to be a bit of a let down in terms of actual job description. Upon being hired, he was told he'd be helping RV expand their mobile services - instead, he was placed on a team that seems very set in it's ways, will not listen to his mobile expertise, and had no knowledge of him before he was thrust upon them. His manager is a younger female who feels threatened by his experience, and sees his more serious work personality as being evidence of a "bad and insubordinate" attitude. However, he has made many friends there and hopes to be able to switch teams in the near future, which I believe will greatly increase his work happiness.

Outside of work, Matt and I have been traveling a good bit lately. We went to Jonas Ridge to my grandparents' mountain house with another couple for a really wonderful weekend about a month ago. This past weekend, being Labor Day, we took a trip to Asheville where we went to the Biltmore and went on a 3.5 hours zip-lining adventure as Matt's belated birthday present. It was a blast, but we've decided Asheville isn't really our scene. Apart from hippies, the city seemed full of idle wandering weirdos dressed in all manner of offensive and scandalizing dress, clearly high as kites and in no way adding to the betterment of society.

This coming weekend we will be going to Chapel Hill and Raleigh for my friend Maggie's wedding. We'll see Krystle, my old roommate, as well as Mitchell, a friend from high school who recently moved to Raleigh. On Sunday, I've also arranged to go and visit Professor Gless' wife, Frieda (my old study abroad professor) and their little girl, now over a year old. I'm sure it will be very difficult to see them in that house, knowing Professor Gless won't be coming through the door with a tray of tea. How lonely they must feel without him. If his brief presence in my life could have left such an impact, I can only imagine what it must be like for the wife he left behind and the daughter he never knew.

On to happier musings, married life is great so far. It's so very nice to know that at the end of a long day, there is someone there to love you and be there for you - and to watch ridiculous shows on Hulu with you. We have recently discovered a show called "Horrible Histories" which is a British comedy show featuring brief skits relaying historical, but horrible, facts from various time-periods throughout history. Some common segments include "Terrible Tudors," "Vicious Vikings" and "Rotten Romans." A bit Monty Python-esque in it's humor, we both love it - and it's nice to spend most evenings laughing together.

As far as the wedding went - well, it was a dream. An absolute dream. As my dad said, "This must be the most beautiful wedding on a shoestring budget anyone ever had." The day was lovely with blue skies and white fluffy clouds - and a light breeze. The shade from the giant pecan trees offered a cool setting for the ceremony, and no one seemed overly warm - even me in my giant gown. My bridesmaids were absolutely gorgeous in their baby blue dresses, the hydrangeas we all carried were perfectly elegant, the first dance (a waltz) went wonderfully, even though Matt forgot the order he had decided upon, we just made it up as we went, and it was splendid. The food was really outstanding - and I owe a huge thanks to Lynn, my old colleague, for doing such a spectacular job of it for only $10 a head. No one would've known it was Zaxby's food - and I suppose most of it was not, as she catered the menu specifically to what I requested.

I danced my heart out at the reception, and the huge front porch severed as a wonderfully ample dance floor. In the end, I couldn't have been happier with the way it turned out. What a wonderful day to remember for the rest of our lives.

And the honeymoon in Prince Edward Island? What can I say? It was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. It was every bit as beautiful as the Anne of Green Gables movies made it out to be, and even more lush and green than I expected. It was a quiet sanctuary with food beyond compare (all being grown/raised on the island); spectacular views from lighthouses, bluffs and red dirt roads; and the friendliest people you will ever meet. Seriously, if it wasn't so cold in the winter, we may seriously consider moving to Canada. There is something to be said for a people who are universally so kind. When I left my brand new iphone in a restaurant, I had no fear two hours later when I realized it was gone. I knew it would be there. And sure enough, it was in the safekeeping of the genial waitress who said, "I knew you'd be back for it!"

Highlights were: eating in the Charlottetown culinary arts school, hiking the Greenwich boardwalk in the PEI National Park, watching the sunset from the red cliff beach of Cavendish, seeing the Anne of Green Gables spots and meeting some of the author's descendants, eating hand-made chocolate in Victoria-by-the-Sea, staying in the Westpoint Lighthouse with a view over the red beach, finding sea glass, taking a carriage ride to a private beach, watching the Anne & Gilbert musical....and more.

We also took a detour on our way back to Halifax before coming home to see the Bay of Fundy (which has the largest tidal change in the world). We were able to walk on the ocean floor during low tide, about 50 feet below where the water would be only a few hours later. It was really incredible and a very unique experience.

To sum up the several months since last I wrote: I'm very happy. What can I say? Married life must suit me. :)