The Countdown Begins

Holy crap - I’m getting married in 28 days!  I know I’ve been planning this shindig for months, but I can still barely believe it.  The whole thing almost seems surreal, like it’s happening to someone else.  But then I look at the wedding gown hanging in my bedroom, and see all the bridal magazines strewn about our apartment, and realize this is reality.  I will be saying my vows in just a few, short weeks.  I’m about to become a bride.

Am I excited?  Definitely.  Am I stressed?  Most definitely.  (I still have a whole lot of stuff to do.)  Am I nervous?  Not in the least.  Mostly, I’m at ease.  No cold feet.  No second-guessing.  No pre-wedding jitters.  I can only describe what I’m feeling as an overwhelming sense of assuredness.  This is what we are meant to do.  Getting married is the right thing for us, the natural course of events.  It’s a feeling of serenity that goes beyond my heart; it’s embedded in my bones.  It’s as easy as that.

One of my coworkers seemed to take offense the other night, when I spoke so nonchalantly about the wedding.  She mistook my calmness for indifference, eying me suspiciously.  I could see the judgment forming in her thoughts.  I guess she wanted me to be more emphatic, a bit more excitable about the whole thing.  It’s as if she was measuring our love and longevity by my outward level of enthusiasm.  I could see her writing us off already.  But she had it all wrong.  Just because I’m not the typical bride, full of blushing and gushing, doesn’t mean I’m not happy to be getting married.  I just don’t see the need to get all worked up into a frenzy.  (Especially with someone I barely know.)  That’s just not my style.

As the actual day approaches, my attitude might change.  Maybe I will morph into a typical bride and start acting crazy.  But, for now, I’m going to maintain status quo and keep it cool.

Weekend Warrior

It isn’t often I wake up sore beyond belief, but that is exactly what happened Monday morning.  As I slowly gained consciousness and welcomed the new day, it quickly dawned on me that I could barely lift my arms.  Every part of my upper body ached, right down to my ribs.  It even hurt to breathe.  I was reminded of muscles I had forgotten existed.  I felt like my body had been through a war, and slightly looked the part, too, with bruises and scratches scattered about my arms and legs.  It wasn’t pretty.  I was a wreck.  Even getting out of bed that morning felt like a monumental task.  The silly thing was, I couldn’t blame my sorry state on anyone but myself.  I did this to myself.  Yup - all of this was a result of my determination to be a weekend warrior. 

As you may have guessed, our brief visit to Joshua Tree involved a little more than toasting s’mores over the campfire.  Sure, we sat around the fire at night, but during the day, we did more than just take in the beautiful scenery… we tackled it.  And that’s when the real fun began.  Yes – it’s nice to commune under the stars, but there is something immensely satisfying about being outdoors and pushing one’s own physical limits.  That is exactly what I did.  I’m not going to pretend I’m some amazing climber, because I’m not.  Truthfully, I’m a pretty poor climber.  But, that minor detail doesn’t matter.  I still enjoy attacking a good route now and again, and Joshua Tree is the best place to do that.  So, I let my climber friends lead the way and coddle me to the top.  It was still amazing.

And, as if climbing wasn’t enough of a physical challenge for the weekend, we packed up camp on Sunday morning, making our way back to Cali, to the San Gabriels, for an afternoon of canyoneering.  (For those of you unfamiliar with canyoneering, it’s a sport involving hiking, rappelling, a lot of down-climbing, and some swimming.)  It had been more than a year since I had done a canyon, so I was incredibly excited for this addition to our weekend lineup of activities.  Thankfully, Rubio Canyon did not disappoint.  The start of the hike was a little pedestrian, as it was a well-used, high-traffic trail, but as soon as we descended into the canyon, I knew we were in for an afternoon of fun.  With lush greenery and a rushing stream, the scenery alone was worth the trip.  Then came the rappels, each in conjunction with a waterfall.  Calling it a wet afternoon would be an understatement; we were soaked!  But we still shrieked with delight as the icy water pummeled us.  It was the most fun I had had in a very long time.

As the week has progressed, my soreness has diminished.  But, I have to admit; I kind of enjoyed the pain.  It was a badge of honor, a reminder of a weekend well spent.  Now that I’m back to normal, I’m ready to hit the trails and do it all over again.

Just Being in Joshua Tree

I wish you could have seen me, sitting cross-legged on top of the picnic table, stirring spaghetti over a miniature camp stove.  I was bundled up in a more layers than I could count and must have looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care.  (Besides, the layers were necessary.  It was cold!)  I was too busy drinking my wine, humming along to whatever sufficiently-hippy tune was playing, and making sure the spaghetti didn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  It was a typical Friday night in Joshua Tree – dark, frigid, and unbelievably windy – but the stars were out and it was still a gorgeous night.  I couldn't wipe the smile off my my face; I was in heaven.  It’s amazing how little it takes to make me happy.  Give me a little wilderness, a roaring fire, some good food, and even better company, and I’m content.  It’s just nice to get away from it all, to forget about the modern world and all of our normal obligations for a spell.  That’s what this weekend was all about.  We needed to take some time to get away and relax.  So, we packed our gear and headed to Joshua Tree National Park for the weekend.  And, even though the weather conditions weren’t ideal, we still had a good time; being there gave us the opportunity to just be.  And just being in such a breathtaking-ly gorgeous location always feels like such a privilege, like something we don't deserve.  It was exactly what we needed.  It was a great weekend.