The Long Road There

We intended to leave for Colorado the Tuesday morning before our wedding, but because we were like two excited children we thought what the hell let’s head out Monday night.

And so I spent the day doing the last minute things every bride does before she leaves for her wedding: picking up anxiety meds for her dog, also some new toys and bones, a new dog sweater in case fall happened to randomly move during the last week of July, and then scrolling online for dog Halloween costumes for an hour or so just because I had time to burn. *I did not have time to burn, but Har’s costume has been stressing me out this year so it had to be done THAT MINUTE, but that’s a post for another time.

I also got a quick cut and color from Nicole at Retreat, whom I have to say did an awesome job of giving me the “summer blonde bride” look I was going for. She also did an awesome job of agreeing with me (to the displeasure of my mom) that dollar dances aren’t for everyone… No judgement if that’s your cup of tea, but dancing with men for money simply isn’t mine. I would rather pay men not to dance with me. But to each their own! Whatever floats your bride boat.

Moving right along. That pic was taken at the spot we had Bloodys every morning in Steamboat (TAKE ME BACK!) I’m wearing just 1 of my 1000 “white outfits” I packed.

Anyway.

When I picked Chris up from his parents’ cabin to “hit the road” as we say in Nebraska, I couldn’t look Harlow in the eyes. He saw our car was packed and he knew something was up. I tried to be nonchalant and casually said to him “we’ll be right back,” as I always do when I leave him, but if I’m speaking the truth here I fought back major tears as we drove away (more so than usual.) I actually had a lump in my throat and was certain something terrible was going to happen to him while we were gone. I made Chris call his mom several times just on the drive simply to check up.

Luckily as I write this Harlow is currently curled up on my legs, under a blanket, snoring and farting and seemingly as happy as he’s ever been. So all is good.

And the eleven hour drive we were about to embark on will forever be one of my favorite road trip memories.

In writing this I’m trying to figure out why I look back on this drive with such fond memories and I can’t pinpoint why exactly. It wasn’t perfect by any means. Chris spilled his soda several times (this is something that makes him irrationally angry because our car is “new”) *car is no longer new. I got into a verbal fight with the worker at the North Platte Subway for refusing to give me extra napkins. And I made Chris pull over and wait for an hour in Paxton, Nebraska around 10 p.m. while a storm passed because I was certain the storm had a tornado in it and we would certainly die if we tried to drive through it. A tornado never dropped, but an argument did. And then we ended up staying the night in a Super 8 Motel (these still exist) and slept for only four hours because we were sure the hotel had bed bugs. It did not. I don’t think.

And yet with all of that I would still give anything to go back to that road trip.

I would sleep in the Kimball, Nebraska Super 8 again and again if it meant a week spent in the mountains with our family and friends. The good thing about time is that the further we get from this trip the less I’ll remember the annoying parts and the more I’ll remember the good parts. The moments of Chris and I each making our playlists for “Bridesmaids/Groomsmen getting ready” day. The dinner playlist for our reception that Chris put together for the time before the band started playing, testing out each and every song so we could have it just right. Fly Me To The Moon… And the texts and phone calls and snapchats we received from all of our friends excited to join us in just a few days.

That’s the good stuff right there.

Tuesday morning we drove from Wyoming to Steamboat and Chris would later tell me he was incredibly nervous on this part of the drive. “Not nervous to marry you, just for all the other stuff,” he said. Which I find funny because what I remember from this part of the drive was trying my hardest to find the snacks I packed for the flower girls and ring bears because I just can’t resist mini bags of Animal Crackers and Oreos. While incredibly unsatisfying, small bags of snacks are just fun.

When we arrived in Steamboat, before doing anything else we drove right to the courthouse to get our marriage license. We immediately celebrated after with Bloody Marys at a restaurant overlooking the Yampa River. And in that moment before anyone else had arrived we took a second to take it all in.

I am literally bursting with joy right now, I said at one point (several points, actually.) And I was. I had never been so excited.

However that joy quickly faded when our waitress brought over my Bloody and it had gin in it instead of vodka. WEEK RUINED.

I kid, I kid. I took it like a champ and ordered another.

Coming up next: Spring Break July 2016 – spending a week in a five bedroom suite with my favorite people.  *Also the reason why I will probably look exhausted in every wedding pic, but who cares! I like to have fun. #noregrets.

Teaser pic of what’s to come.