the main purpose of this trip was to attend my sister's wedding. i got in on friday afternoon and went to the rehearsal dinner that the groom's family threw for those who were in town. it was a nice precursor to the wedding because i had met only very few of d's family but have heard lots about all of them.
e & c were gracious enough to let me crash with them that night. they had recently moved from baltimore to durham and bought a house, an actual stand-alone house that's become a phenomenon to me. i've actually never lived in a stand-alone house before. my family had always lived in rented apartments, and my mom currently lives in a duplex where her side walls are shared with her neighbors. also, i've spent the past 6 years in los angeles and new york, living in cramped spaces, so my sense of a home has been warped, particularly compared to the american norm, which i think of as a house. e & c's house is lovely and wonderfully spacious with a woodsy backyard. i could hear crickets at night, standing on the porch.
saturday was the big day. i picked up r at the airport and headed to elmo's diner for brunch with e & c. then, r & i met my parents. it was the first time r met my mom, which went well, as i had expected. we headed to the hotel to check-in and to get ready for the wedding.
the wedding itself was very informal and small, just close family and friends. it wasn't even really a ceremony, more of a celebration. b & d had actually gotten married at the magistrate's the day before. the gathering was held at the horace williams house in chapel hill, they had the best north carolina-style bbq restaurant - bullock's - cater, and the strawberry shortcake was made by mad hatter's. they've known each other for about 10 years so it's been a long wait for all of us. the two of them put it together pretty much all by themselves, and only the day of did they ask their friends to pitch in and physically set up everything.
towards the end of the evening, a handful of us said a few words to the newly weds. k got everyone's attention and basically acted as the most awesome master of ceremonies. d's grandfather spoke first, sharing his wisdom on what makes a solid marriage. i then followed and teared up merely a third of the way through my short speech. d's brother went next, quoting some marriage adages. b's best friend from middle school said her words, sharing her experience with the couple since she's known them. and d's father ended the night with his speech as b & d cut the cake and champagne was passed around for the toast.
r had to leave the next day, having to return to work, but we were able to squeeze in some time on unc's campus, ncssm's campus, and duke gardens. here are some pictures from the gardens:
lily pond
couple of turkeys?
lamb's ears
maybe dandelions?
after my parents and i dropped off r at the airport, we headed to jacksonville. we took it easy on monday, not doing anything, and did hotpot for dinner:
it's one of my favorite meals because it's simple; thus, all the ingredients have to be fresh.
on tuesday, we went to hammock beach, one of the places i make a point to visit on almost every one of the trips i make to north carolina:
the dock where we arrive at bear island, the beach being on the other side of this island
an egret we spotted on the ferry ride
the beach
clear water
sea gulls keeping an eye out for anyone with food
overall, the trip felt very short but probably one of the happiest. i can finally refer to d as my brother-in-law after all these years. my mom finally met r and got along well. i got to see my friends and their new house. i was able to make it to the beach with the scrapes on my knees to prove it. and every night, my mom prepared the most delicious meals. but the vacation could only last so long, and it's good to be home too.
1 comment:
Sounds great! I hope to see pics of the ceremony later!
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