How He's Made It (Almost) A Year Is Beyond Me. And Beyond Everyone Who Knows Us.

When Mike and I returned from our honeymoon, late last June, I began planning for a Mediterranean cruise I wanted us to take for our one-year anniversary. I thought a year was plenty of time to save the THOUSANDS of dollars any type of Mediterranean cruise would cost. Mike looked at me—somewhat lovingly, somewhat afraid he had vowed to be with a woman for the rest of his life who had so clearly LOST HER MIND—and said, as I searched my way through the entire Internet, "Baby, we won't be able to afford that trip. Please stop practicing your Spanish."

I finally roped myself in a little bit and realized that, no, the Mediterranean would not be in our first-anniversary plans. I then promptly began tossing around the idea of traveling to Chicago or Boston, and because I had already been to Chicago, I began leaning heavily towards Boston. I even bought The Lonely Planet: Boston and began looking for Red Sox tickets. But—sigh—soon enough it dawned on me that with BlogHer and a fall trip to Toronto paired with one too many visits to Old Navy, we just couldn't afford any extra plane tickets.

The part of me that is an idealistic traveler is always the hardest to reconcile with my reality—even harder than the earnest napper with the full-time job holder. I am constantly itching to travel. If Texas weren't so aggravatingly big, and didn't take DAYS UPON DAYS to get out of, I'd probably leave it more often. (And if our neighboring states were just a hair more exciting. No offense to Oklahoma, but when I'm racking up the miles on my Saturn and forking over an obscene amount of money for gas, I'd like to be in any state other than Oklahoma. OK, so slight offense.) It's frustrating to want to go somewhere and be forced instead to sit idly in your house, watching ANOTHER Jon & Kate Plus Eight marathon. (It's rather sad when you are envious of a mother of EIGHT screaming, thrashing children because she's sitting on a Southwest airplane—one that isn't even moving but has the potential to take her somewhere other than her home.)

So, all this whining is to say that, no, we aren't hopping on a plane to celebrate one year of marriage, but we are packing a bag (or two) and getting out of town. We're going to Hot Springs, Arkansas this coming weekend for a couple of days—one day being our actual anniversary. I've never been to Arkansas, but Mike has a handful of times—always on the back of a motorcycle—and he swears it's one of the most beautiful states he's ever been to. If that's true (and I suppose I'll know soon enough), the state of Arkansas really should step up and do something about how often Arkansas residents are featured on Wildest Police Chases and—truly—how often they hurl themselves out of moving vehicles to escape the law. (Quite often, in fact! Mike and I used to watch this show far more often than is respectable, and more than once—MORE THAN TWICE—Arkansas residents, when faced with being apprehended by the law or JUMPING from their moving [stolen] vehicle, chose jumping. When is jumping from a fast-moving car EVER Plan B unless the car is suddenly and inexplicably filled with bees or clowns or Republicans?)

Anyway, part of our weekend "package" with the Bed and Breakfast we're staying at is a massage and a complimentary dinner on a river boat. And a free bottle of champagne.

I know what you're thinking: the free champagne is worth the trip alone. To that I say: I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK. In fact, when the B&B called me last night to confirm our stay and to give us the option of champagne or wine, I may have yelled, "CHAMPAGNE! EVEN IF IT'S CHEAP! AND DON'T TELL MY HUSBAND THERE WAS EVEN A CHOICE!"

::

If you've been to Hot Springs, do you recommend anything in particular? I'm forcing Mike to go horseback riding with me—one of my favorite things to do. And he's forcing me to go two straight days without mentioning that as charming and quaint as Hot Springs may be—and as nice as it is to spend time with my husband of ONE WHOLE SOLID YEAR—Arkansas isn't exactly the Mediterranean. AND WHY CAN'T YOU JUST WIN THE LOTTERY ALREADY. GOD!

The champagne will help with my end of the bargain.

Comments

[barbetti]

I've discovered really delicious champagne lately.

But I'm sorry, I have no idea what fun things you can do in Hot Springs because I couldn't get past CHAMPAGNE!

[Kerri Anne]

Oh my first class, I totally love you right now. And not just because I too am a horribly (horribly) idealistic traveler. I am constantly buying airfare in my head, kayak searching the lowest European fares when I should be working, and picking out new luggage we definitely cannot afford.

Secret, not-so-helpful tip: Enter every travel contest on every travel site you can find. OK, so it's pretty addictive and will probably only serve to get your hopes up, but sometimes it gets me through my most travel-crazed days.

That and telling Chris I'm going to buy us two round-trip tickets to Finland, because FINLAND, it exists! Thus, we must go!

[Loralee]

I soooooo relate. Try living in Utah. It's not like there are tongs fabulous hot spots here or in the surrounding states.

Sigh.

[Someone Being Me]

Too funny. As I was reading I got to the part where you were talking about OK and I was thinking why don't they go to Hot Springs? Then I read your next paragraph. It is really beautiful there. Sounds like a good anniversary. We will be in Destin for ours next week. You ought to check out Shreveport too if you are looking for a good out of state place nearby to visit. We went with friends last Memorial Day weekend and had a blast gambling, shopping, eating out and going to a comedy club.

[Wickedly Scarlett]

From one girl bitten by the travel bug to another, believe me, I COMPLETELY understand! I know you'll have a great time in Hot Springs, and maybe you can celebrate five beautiful years on a fabulous Mediterranean cruise :)

[Kristie]

I've been to Hot Springs a long long time ago when I was a teenager. I remember the beautiful trees and that's about it. Well, I do remember doing to a spa thing and got a massage and a hot bath in the natural spring water and it was freakin hot!

[Steph]

How funny, our anniversary is coming up on June 10th and like you we don't have a ton of money to go on a real vacation, so I was contemplating hot springs or Carmel. Both pretty close and I too am going just so I can drink champagne like nobody's business. haha

[Raven]

We are aiming for Europe for our 5 year. Somehow the fact that it's looming 2 years away and we don't have a dime saved for it, is not starting to panic me...yet.

I think you are going to have a fabulous time! I can't wait to read all about it.

I just booked our hotels for Orlando. That trip is counting as our anni trip in combination with the sprog's big b-day this year.

We bought a smaller house just so we could continue to travel. I hope that the stupid gas prices and my not working doesn't thwart that brilliant plan.

[Kitty]

Awwww, have a wonderful anniversary, darling! I'm so happy that you're so happy. =)

[Natalie]

Can't wait to see pictures! I know that you'll take 2 million! Have so much fun. Say hi to my dad's friend Dave.

[Sarah]

Seriously, wherever you go can be fun once you add champagne into the equation-mmm champagne!!! Have a wonderful anniversary!!

[Ashley Forrette]

haven't been to those hot springs, but just went in costa rica. I LOVE them! Amazing! Have a wonderful time.

I love the new header!

[Rachel]

I wish that we could go on a trip somewhere too, but I have hard time convincing G to even want to drive a the six hours to go to Florida even though we have a free place to stay there, so you know. Oh well! I don't think that I'll ever be taking a Mediterranean Cruise. Happy Anniversary!

[britt]

hot springs is very nice. the hot baths are great but since you already get a massage as part of your stay, it may not be worth it because that is included with the bath as well. there are lots of great restaurants and shops like any small texas town you probably have been to so i would just recommend staying "downtown" and enjoying that. by the way, if you do go for the baths, do know that you will be fully naked in a bath with other people in the room and they will bathe you. just fyi because it could be startling at first. i guess after your schlitterbahn story you've been there done that, though :). have fun!!

[Jess]

I have never been, but this sounds like a lovely and affordable way to celebrate your anniversary. We will have to try to do something similar when ours rolls around. (Do you like how I'm planning our anniversary even though our wedding hasn't even happened yet? Me too.)

[Angella]

Have fun celebrating one year! Our anniversary is the 20th - I did not realize our wedding dates were so close!

I have (obviously) never been to where you are going, but hope that you have as much champagne as you can handle ;)

[Michelle]

Okay, a good friend of mine used to go to Hot Springs for work once a year and also has family somewhat close by. I asked her for fun things to do in the area, and this is what she replied with:
Depends on what you mean by “fun.” There are different tours you can take. There’s also this big mountain/hill in town and there’s an observation tower that’s built on top of it, which is cool to go all the way up and you can see for miles. Magic Springs amusement park is also there. One of the big things in town is the horse track. I am not exactly sure when they are in season, but it is a pretty popular spot. Then there’s the town itself. Lots of little shops in the downtown area to wander through as well as a wax museum (which is the one thing I wanted to do and never did). Also I think spa stuff is pretty popular because of the springs that run through the town. There’s actually public fountains that are drawing off the springs – both hot and cold – and people literally bring their jug and get water from them (at least they were still doing so the couple of years I was there). The stores also sell gallon jugs.

Have fun- the spa sounds promising, though maybe not something Mike would be interested in!

[Sarah Marie]

Hee-- I know exactly what you mean-- after coming back from my honeymoon last September, I thought that maybe we could go to Greece for our one year. When I realized this was illogical, I settled on Hawaii or Jamaica. HA! I'm so funny. Instead we'll be driving 3 hours to the beach for a couple of days-- and I know we'll have a wonderful time-- and hopefully I'll get to Greece (or Hawaii) one day. I hope you have an amazing anniversary trip! Happy one year!

[Heather B.]

HA! Oklahoma City is one of my favorite vacation destinations. It's like Disneyland for indolent people.

[Jen]

I can't help at all with the Hot Springs, but just wanted to say that I love how often your header is changing lately! :)

[Miranda]

I hope you both have a FANTASTIC time!!

I, too, always have grand ideas of all the travel I want to do with my husband. While money is indeed a large reason we can't act upon it, so is the fact that he's just not that into it. Lame, right? I know. We ARE going to Boston in September, though, a few months shy of our 3rd anniversary. It's where he was living when we met and fell in love and I just adore that city. We'd go for our anniversary but it's in January, and, well, just: BRRRR! When you get to go let me know and I'll tell you all sorts of things about the area.(I'm a crazy planner, so maybe you don't want to really include me on this. I'd understand. :) )

[Kristabella]

Fun! I've heard that Hot Springs is nice. Can't wait to hear all about it!