A Wedding in Wales

Hello my little, neglected corner of the Internet!

I have taken a questionably intentional break from being here and documenting my happenings since I stopped having to update for school. However, I have not taken a break from social media, so if you have been following me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you are probably rather up to date…which brings me to what I have been thinking about lately. What is the real purpose of this space? I’m thinking it’s time for a change. I started this blog in the first place to keep up with people I know. I can’t think of anything on this blog that would really interest anyone else. But that is how I use Facebook too…so what’s the point of having both?

I’ll have to think about it and decide what I want to really put here moving forward. I will probably have to blog about school stuff again so this place won’t be totally defunct while I figure it out.

Anyway, until I figure it out, it’s business as usual. Here is part one of what has been going on since I’ve posted last:

An Adventure in Wales

This is the story I’ve been meaning to write since April, but then the end of the school year happened and I got a job. But let’s not jump ahead. At the beginning of April, I had the distinct privilege of helping to wonderful friends celebrate their wedding. That marriage is just about five months old at this point, but the amazing trip and celebration is still fresh in my mind. Becki and Edward F. C. IV, allow me to officially congratulate you for all the Internet to see.

Even five months later, the joy, generosity, and all-around amazingness is still fresh in my mind. Most of the American crew that made the trip stayed in cottages right by the coast in South Wales. Ed and Becki’s families pulled out all the stops and treated us to party after party. I saw a part of the world that I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see, and I was able to see it all for the best reason — celebrating the happiness of two of the most amazing people and friends I have ever had the honor of knowing.

However, the wedding wasn’t all that we did while we were across the pond. The journey began with getting picked up in Birmingham and heading to Bath, where we went to the baths and took showers. Spa baths are the BEST way to recover from a crazy set of flights. Then we got to see Ed and Becki’s house (which they own. Like they’re real people.) so we could pick up Ed before we headed to our cottages on the coast. Shout out to John who drove magnificently in the Lanes, on the opposite side of the road, in the dark, in a manual car. He is a driving super hero. I don’t have a picture of the Lanes but imagine narrow dirt roads flanked on either sides by stone walls, or dense shrubbery, higher than cars. I am a notorious driving wimp, so maybe I thought they were more scary than they are.

Anyway! The next day was the bachelor party, in which I was involved. John the super star best man planned the whole thing. We started the day at a distillery, then went to lunch in Cardiff and then we went Karting.  Karting is apparently a really popular thing to do in Wales because there are an abundance of locations. They’re like bowling lanes. Becki’s Dad is a Karting fanatic (with good reason. He’s a racing pro.) After struggling to find a jump suit that was not made for either a giant or a small child, and locating a helmet that would fit my hair inside (I guess there aren’t an abundance of lady karters? Or maybe they’re all just taller than I am), I had a GREAT time, much to my surprise. I came in last. Every time. But that’s okay. I wasn’t in it to win. Most importantly, Ed seemed to have a good time. And that’s good because the whole day was for him.

Oren came in the next day, his break having started at that point. The boys went to get him from Cardiff while also picking up the tuxes. The girls and I stayed behind and took a little cliff walk. The rehearsal dinner was also that night complete with a pub quiz, cleverly orchestrated by the bride and groom.

The wedding day dawned early. We all got our hair done and it wasn’t long at all before we had to head over to the venue. There was quite a bit of preparing and lots of picture-taking before the actual ceremony. I had forgotten that I had been asked to do a reading until the night before, but one of the bride’s brothers got me the script of what I was to say and I spent some time practicing it. The venue was amazing. The weather was a little blustery, but didn’t really rain, which is a near miracle for Wales. Everyone was Ceilidh dancing before we knew it.

Even after the wedding, the celebration wasn’t over. Many departed but those of us who were staying poked around Cardiff a little bit. We saw as much of the castle as we could for free, and I tried to go into the library (obviously), but it was shut on Sunday. Everyone was tired, so after ordering an Indian food feast to take with us back to the cottages, we spent a quiet night in, playing party games and chatting.

The next day was Erev Pesach, and we were having the Passover Seder at Ed and Becki’s house, led by some of their friends from Israel. Before heading over to Ed and Becki’s, Ed accompanied Oren and me to the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff. It was glorious, if a little behind the show, and I’m very happy not to have missed it. The seder was really fun and we picked up a few traditions that we might implement into our own seders one day.

I had to catch an early flight out the next day, so Oren and I left the seder in time to catch the final train from Gloucester back to Birmingham. Before I knew it I was facing West, preparing to get back to business upon touching down in Syracuse.

I think I will leave the rest of the update for another post. This story became a little longer than I intended, but it deserved to be told. Anyone remember anything I forgot? I leave you with the obligatory photo gallery to fill in the gaps.

Oh yeah, I flew Business Class for one leg of my flight. Thanks Darin!

Waiting to head to the Spa in sunny Bath

Karting Champions

Old Friends in Helmets

Glorious bus that got us from A to B in style

Me, Meaghan and Emily on our cliff walk…with cows.

The cliffs of South Wales

View from the top of the cliffs

I obviously had to stop at the local library. In Llantwit Major, Wales.

All dolled up

Groom’s Party

First Dance…the calm before the PARTY

Library attempt #2. The Cardiff library looked awesome, but it was closed.

Street in Cardiff with dragon flags

Cardiff Castle

Cardiff Castle

Post Cardiff Party Games

Standard Nerds

Hello Sweetie

EXTERMINATE.

Fields of canola from the train window

Preparing the seder meal

The seder plate

Our seder table was small but mighty

The bride and groom at their first seder with one of their cultural ambassadors.

More brave goyim at their first seder.

My haggadah was matzah-shaped!!!