Hey APW,
Approximately seven years and some months ago, Michael and I got married and decided that instead of a traditional honeymoon, we’d go on an epic road trip across the country to celebrate our recent nuptials. Except, it turns out we are terrible planners, and that trip sort of never happened and we just went back to work the following Tuesday. A year later we did one of those all-inclusive Mexican resorts, and it was lovely. But holy hell, take a few days after your wedding to recoup, okay? Don’t be like me.
So in anticipation of baby Eisenhart, Michael and I decided to get our shit together last weekend and take a road trip babymoon. We went to Las Vegas for the first time, which was simultaneously overwhelming and underwhelming, and then camped out in Joshua Tree in our pickup truck before heading home by way of Venice Beach, all with our 150 pound dog, because hahahaha why not?
I’ve been dying to visit Vegas since forever. I’ve got gambling in my blood (I usually steer clear, but I figured pregnant = sober = I can’t cause tooooo much trouble, right?), so I thought that this was about finally getting to live out my dream of pulling on slot machine handles until I pass out. But the surprise magic of the trip actually came in the form of spending some wonderfully mundane time together driving along the highway, unencumbered by chores and our to-do list, with The Half Blood Prince to keep us company.
So let that serve as a reminder (to me more than anyone), that you don’t really need to do anything fancy to have a magical honeymoon with your partner. The best parts of our trip weren’t the flashy parts. They were the sitting side-by-side and eating oatmeal cream pies and talking about which Harry Potter character you most identify with parts.
And with that, it’s your happy hour. Get to it! I gotta unpack.
xo,
Maddie
P.S. Major hat tip to this awesome campground we found in Joshua Tree. The hosts were so welcoming, and we even got a home cooked breakfast in the morning. #Win.
Link Round-up
MUST READ: Own, Apologize, Repair: Coming Back to Integrity
Trump’s federal hiring freeze is hurting military families.
Buffy dealt with a man like Trump before (Warren!).
Trump’s border wall could cut through your backyard.
Why Democrats need to forget about “reaching out.”
President Lincoln warned us about demagogues like Trump.
Katy Perry performed at the Brit awards alongside skeleton versions of Trump and Teresa May.
that was a lot of heavy stuff, so here’s a cute kitten:
