for Shannon Acosta

My sister is getting married in one month.

Well, 26 days.

The ceremony and reception sites are booked. The RSVPs are in. The dress has arrived. It's almost game time.

After running through the probable setup and time line with the event coordinator at the country club, I can say with full confidence that this is going to be one kickin' wedding! With so much already accomplished in anticipation of the big day, we are left to iron out remaining details. What exactly should the centerpieces look like? Who will attend the program table? Which limo company should we go with? When should the bridal party arrive at the church in preparation for photos? Just how many gallons of white wine sangria should there be (many, please!)?

It's all very exciting.

It's the event that I stayed in Virginia for, that I lived in Norfolk one last time for. The day that I'm so glad I could be around all fall to help my siister plan.

The day. Down to the details.

Down to the moment one has in the periphery of one's mind during a lifetime: the moment one's sister gets married. But this time it's MY sister! MY dear sister who has had the chance to be there on so many of her friends' special days. It's HER turn to wear the beautiful white dress and look like a frickin princess (because she is very pretty even when she's not decked out). MY sister! And I get to stand there and try and hold back my buckets of tears while she looks so gorgeous and gets married to an excellent addition to the family (favorite new brother Marty!) because it is all just so very happy!

So I'll do my maid of honor duties and make a toast and dance the night away and get Shannon to eat something so she doesn't pass out and make sure nothing gets in the way of my sister having a perfect wedding experience because that's what she deserves - a simply fabulous party which everyone is attending because of her (and Marty).

26 days. A handful of details. One great night.

And after it's over, I just have to find myself a hubby so Shannon and I can take our boys and travel the world as a foursome!

Long Walks and Busted Plans

I'm currently in San Diego, soaking in the sun through the windows of my friends' apartment in Kensington. My time here has been lovely although I was not prepared for the 90 degree heat in early November (It is much colder than that where I come from and it's supposed to be in the high 60s the rest of my time here - fingers crossed!).

Who lives in San Diego? Melly (http://e52walkinlove.blogspot.com/) and Tiffany (http://tiffanyhandley.theworldrace.org/), two of my teammates from Haiti. I have wanted to visit ever since returning from Port-au-Prince and so one day about two months ago I purchased a ticket for Nov 3-10. It was a risky move - I was still in a state of applying for jobs out of state and didn't actually know where I would be in November. Buying a ticket out of Norfolk meant I was committed to being in Norfolk at the time of my flight and thus pretty much not getting a job anywhere else.

I was in the same rut that I was in prior to Haiti - applying for any and every job I seemed qualified for. And just like this past spring, nothing worked out. My plan for my life - to work in ResLife/Student Affairs/have a "real job"...Busted.

Have you had that experience? When you have had a plan for your whole life and then you get to a certain point and there is a fathomless abyss in front of you? You can do anything. Literally anything. Except what you planned on doing.

You can sit and be sad because your life is not going the way you planned and you don't know what to do. And I think sometimes we need moments of wallowing and crying out and fighting with God. But in my life, things not going according to plan has meant that I can work at an awesome coffeehouse (borjocofee.com) with a fun and helpful boss and have incredible relationships with coworkers and regulars. I can help plan my sister's wedding while living in the same city as her. I can take fabulous holidays to California, rife with long walks and talks about anything and everything, unfettered and honest talks because I completely trust these people. I can move to St. Louis simply because that is where God wants me to be and so I will follow Him.

In my life, things not going according to my plan meant that things could go according to His plan. And His plan is so.much.better. than my plan.