I must premise this post with a big: Hang With Me, Friends.

This post is going to be here, and there, and up, and down, and- well- you get the point.

Just hang with me. You’ll be happy you did (well, maybe you won’t, but I will be happy you did, and that counts for something, right?).

After work Friday I went to a baby shower for my friend “Ethel.” Do you guys remember her? It’s been a while since I’ve posted about her. Anyway, I had a lovely time and it was good to see her.

After the baby shower I headed over to P’s. Remember? We were going to have a big date night and I was going to try sushi for the first time! We went to The Avenues Mall and ate dinner at Maki. Guys- Maki is where I broke my sushi virginity. P was so cool about the whole thing. She didn’t laugh when I looked like a complete moron with chopsticks, and she was really discreet about teaching me the correct way to hold them-again, and again, and again. By the way- those things are painfully impossible to master on the first try. I looked like such a weirdo. P was so patient and really helped me figure it out. Unfortunately, everything went into short term memory and I have since forgotten, but darnit- for those 30 minutes I was Master Brittny.

We had the best time- once I got over the moronic chopstick issue, of course. We had an array of sushi and guys- I did great! I was really proud of my braveness. We had this amazing sushi with sweet potatoes and rice… it was so good. Obviously much safer than the salmon I had. It was good too, and I’m glad I did it. I promised P another night of sushi in which I would be even more adventurous than I was that night. She’s convinced I need to try eel. We’ll see. It was actually good and I felt healthy afterwards, not disgusting like I do when we go to must restaurants. Well- I should backtrack- I felt healthy until we went to go for dessert. Yeah, it was all over after that.

You couldn’t end a girl’s night of fun just on sushi- right? Of course not! So- we had to end the night with chocolate, and there’s no better place for chocolate in Kuwait than The Chocolate Bar. See? I told you guys we have real food here. You seriously need to click on this link. For some reason some of the best desserts aren’t on the site… oh well. You’ll just have to take my word!

That place is simply amazing. There are no words to describe the edification brought from a huge chocolate-y dessert.

After our gluttonous night, I took P home. On the way to my house I started to feel sad. Really sad- and it wasn’t just because I was feeling fat! P and I have been together for almost 18 years. We’ve rarely been apart. I began to think about how hard it will be to let go, and to be separated by an ocean and it really began to make my heart hurt.

As I drove home I also thought about Will and how he must feel that way about his family back home. I began to feel bad for all the little daily things we’ve missed in their lives that are generally quite trivial, but things that seem to add up after a whole year of missing such things.

And so, the wheels of my mind began to turn…

If you’re around me for very long it won’t take long before you hear about my beloved “dream vacation.” It seems to be to be a topic that has consumed my mind as of late. After taking Will’s dream trip to the Super Bowl, it was only fitting that I begin to think about when it would be my turn. It’s been a thought that has occupied a lot of my thoughts for months now, and I’ve been raring to finally take this trip already!

So- as I drove home I began to think, “Brittny? What would make you and Will happy?” I mulled that idea around in my head and gave it some thought as each mile passed.

As I waited at a stoplight it hit me:

Will needs to go home and spend some alone time with his family, especially his dad. He doesn’t need his wife in the way of that quality father-son time.

I need to cherish this time with P. Before I know it she’ll be off to the states, living such a grown-up life and time together will be incredibly sparse.

SO- I came up with a plan.

After a few conversations and a little convincing it was decided that Will would go home for a few weeks this fall to catch some OU games and spend time with his dad

AND-

THIS SUMMER P AND I ARE TO GO ON MY DREAM MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE!!!

I honestly don’t think I’ve been this excited since my wedding day.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking- “Shouldn’t you make Will go with you on this dream trip?? After all, he dragged you to the Super Bowl.”

I thought about it, but the truth is, I really think I’d have more fun with P. We would have a freaking BLAST. I have no doubt about that. Will would go with me and be just fine, but he’s not nearly as excited about this trip as I am. To be quite honest- I really want to go with P. I just think it would be nice to spend this time with my sister doing something I know we would love before life changes. Plus, I figure it would be nice for Will to see his dad sometime in September or October without me tagging along. I guess I always thought it was weird when people would take separate vacations. I was sure that meant that they were having trouble, but in this case, I really think it’s a great idea and it’s something that would make us both really happy. We’re both excited for each other, and we’re both excited about our prospective trips.

Only- I think I’m more excited.

I wish you could see my right now- I’m beaming! Yes- beaming. Beaming as in everything within a 10 mile radius is radiating because of my excitement.

Just imagine the wealth of blogging material that will come from this trip!

The hardest part has been convincing my mother choosing the right cruise. We have to make sure P has enough time to pack up her stuff here and get to the states for college. Plus, everything is booked. I think we’ve about narrowed it down to 3. The one we REALLY want to go on is 20 days, and, well, it’s a little (okay a LOT) out of the questions. Surprisingly, it’s cheaper than some of the shorter ones! I’m hoping to book by next week. AAAH! I’m so excited!

More fun to come… you can bet on that.

<3