you've got to grow up sometime

This past weekend, I had quite the adventure. It was my boyfriend’s and my first real, official trip together, and we didn’t even get to sit next to each other on the plane ride there. (Southwest FAIL.)

Why the trip, you ask? The bf’s cousin got married, and we thought it’d be a great opportunity to get away for a long weekend. Never mind that I hate flying (thanks, LOST) or the fact that I had to take two unpaid days off work. (I can’t wait til I get a job with benefits. If anyone’s hiring, holler at me, please.) But I really did want to go — and get a chance to visit one of my bffs! So there we were, flying a row apart.

I was nervous about this trip for two reasons (three if you count the fact that was supposed to be a Catholic wedding… turns out it was only twenty five minutes long. Awesome). One, I had to meet his ENTIRE FAMILY. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, the whole nine yards. That always puts me on edge, just because I know how crazy my family is, but it was actually super pleasant! I met SO MANY PEOPLE, but everyone was lovely and really nice and kept saying how glad they were that I was there (lies, but it was nice to hear anyway) which made it a lot less nerve-wracking for me.

Two, I was really scared this trip would put me into serious wedding mode. I am by NO means ready to get married any time soon, but I have been watching more Say Yes To The Dress than I should, and that coupled with my job, which puts me up close and personal with very beautiful, very EXPENSIVE engagement and wedding rings is making me a little antsy. I took it mostly as an opportunity to figure out what I did/didn’t want for my wedding in five/ten/twenty years, desperately trying not to turn into That Girl(friend). As it turned out, though, every five seconds, my boyfriend would turn to me — or I to him — and say, “Oh, our wedding’s going to be SO much better than this!”

I did learn several things while on this trip that I really could have lived without knowing.

- Always bring your ID to the airport. My boyfriend’s grandfather forgot his, meaning half the family almost missed their plane while security called WASHINGTON (as in DC) and had to confirm his identity. RIDIC.

- Always make sure your hotel room is empty. As we finally made it to our hotel after an hour delay on our connection, we were happy to settle in to our room for a little R&R. Only, when the bf went to the bathroom, there was a shaving kit on the counter. Then I found a suit hanging in the closet. I’m no detective, but I figured out they had put us in someone’s room. Who does that?! We got it sorted out, and it turned out to be a cousin, so at least it wasn’t a stranger’s room, but still? I had a heart attack, practically. It’s not nice to scare me, Marriott. (I hope I’m not sensing a pattern.)

- Always bring back up shoes. Since I had never been to St. Louis, I wasn’t exactly familiar, I guess you could say, with the weather. Or mostly, how it can change in a split second. Imagine me, wanting to look cute to meet an entire family at a wedding, only to have it SNOW FIVE INCHES. On the wedding day. I have never seen such a thing in my life. North Carolina does not prepare you for that! Luckily, the snow had cleared up by Sunday and we were able to — you know — GET HOME. (Also, I went to the zoo. In forty degree weather. The only thing out at the zoo in weather like that? Bears. And penguins!)

So yes. These were the trials and tribulations of my first trip with my boyfriend. We made it back alive, so I’m willing to call it a success.