Eleven Months

Well, how about that? This is the last monthly installment of our "mini anniversaries." Next month, we'll officially start counting in years. Pretty amazing.

I've found myself reflecting on where I was in my life one year ago. Have I ever expressed just how happy I am that I started blogging? At first, I started Road to the Aisle just for me. I was so excited to be engaged and getting married, and I wanted to chronicle the whole thing. I never expected anyone to read it, but once people started doing so, I remained motivated to blog because of it. I have always sort of felt an obligation to keep it up because of all of you, and I am just so glad I did.

I love going back and reading it all, but I especially love the entries in the month leading up to the wedding, and of course the wedding itself, and then the honeymoon. For whatever reason, those posts take me right back to that time, and I can feel the feelings--I can relive it all.

It's possible I might touch on this stuff again once we hit the one year mark, but when I look back at this post, sent from my BlackBerry, right before I went inside the church to get married? I feel the anticipation all over again. And it's funny, too, because I was standing there by myself just waiting, and trying to pass the time, and when I first thought about taking a photo and posting it on the blog, I laughed at myself. Noooo, certainly I shouldn't do that. How stupid of me, to be thinking about my blog at a time like this. But I did it anyway. Now, it's probably one of my favorite posts I ever put up on Road to the Aisle. And it doesn't even contain any words! Oddly enough, it happened to post at the exact time my wedding ceremony was scheduled to start--2:00 p.m. I look at the timestamp and I can't help but smile.

One year ago, I was preparing for a bachelorette party. Making jewelry. Hunting down late RSVPs. Designing rehearsal invitations. Trying out a spray tan. Doing funny things in my sleep. Getting licensed. Running into issues with programs (then fixing issues with programs). Indulging in a glass (or two) of wine almost every night. Bidding adieu to work for three weeks. Losing weight without even trying.

What a crazy time that was. I don't have any desire to do it again (except for maybe the effortless weight loss; that, I could live with). I'm grateful to be living a more relaxed lifestyle this year. But wow, looking back on all of that? F-U-N.