things that have happened these past few months

Well it's been weeks - no, months - since I last posted.  Life just got crazy busy, along with the whole "Why am I really writing a blog when I know it's never going to be widely read" thought…and so this little blog just got pushed to the side.  And I became really into Instagram.  I still am really into Instagram, but I miss writing my little missives.  And so, I'm back.

Here's what I've been up to since…May...the last time I sat down and wrote a real post.  Oh my god is that really almost six months ago??

Ok, in chronological order of events:

1.  I got a secondment at work; I was given the opportunity to act in a higher position for a couple of months, working in a different team.  This was crazy exciting as I already knew and loved the team, was a little familiar with the work that they did, and it was a fantastic opportunity to stretch and up skill myself at work.  I had been dead bored in my job and was eager for this challenge.  Plus, did I say, I loved the team?  Of course, this meant that the two months right before my wedding had me working overtime learning a new job…on top of the wedding planning (did I ever mention that we decided to get married overseas where neither of us had any friends or family…and that we opted not to have a wedding planner and did it all ourselves from across the world?!) (not, btw, something I would recommend)

2.  My best friend organized my bachelorette party (what they call a "hen's night" over here).  It was seriously the best bachelorette I ever could have hoped for.  It was exciting, and fun, and classy all at the same time.

Don't know who these guys are - just some randoms at the bar we ended the night in.

3.  Back on the work front, the job I was acting in was advertised.  After a gruelling application and interview process (I had to give a presentation in the interview, among other things), I WON THE JOB!  Permanently!  It's mine!  I get to work for an organization that means something to me, a boss I admire, a team I respect and adore, doing work that is varied and interesting and challenging.  And that actually allows me to use my brain and not just my organizational skills.  I mean, it's not a creative job in the arts, and I'm not acting, but seriously, very excited about this.  Of course, this happened two weeks before I left for my wedding.

4.  I FORGOT MY WEDDING DRESS.  Lunatic that I am.  We were halfway to the airport when I realized (luckily), so we had to turn around to get it.  Luckily I made the flight, dress in hand.

5.  I joined my mother in Johannesburg for the one year anniversary of my (step)father's death.  Sometimes it's still as painful as it was on that day.

6.  Then I had a week long party in Cape Town with The Fella and 18 of our friends and family.

Table Mountain.

7.  THE FELLA AND I GOT MARRIED!!

I will have more pictures to share in a few weeks, but I don't have many right now.  We had an "offline" wedding, meaning we asked guests not to take photos or videos but to be with us in the moment and let the hired professionals take care of it all.  Looking back, I would maybe not have been so strict on that rule because I do kind of wish that we had some candid shots from our friends.  But I'm glad we did it because everybody was with us, and focusing on sharing the moment with us, and not focusing on social media or getting in the photographers' way.

This pic was snapped moments after we said "I do". We're with our
celebrant - such a great guy and the perfect person to marry us.

And let me tell you, the wedding was amazing.  Beyond amazing.  It was perfect - even the things that went wrong, or how I realize now, looking back at photos, that a winter shrug and a veil were too much and I should have chosen just one or the other…doesn't matter.  All of it was perfect.  We were on cloud nine the entire day, it was the best party ever, we nailed our wedding dance (more on that in another post), and we were honoured by 28 of our closest loved ones who all made international treks to join us in small-town-nowhere-South-Africa.  (I tell a lie; two guests already lived in South Africa)

And yes.  We got married in South Africa.  And yes.  It was epic.

8. The Husband (giggle) and I had the most amazing honeymoon ever.  More in a future post, but essentially it was a two week road trip around the Garden Route of South Africa, and then a week at home with nothing to do before going back to work.

There.  That's about it.

So, sorry I left.  I'm back now.  With more exciting tales and pictures to tell coming up.  Hope you're all well.