Sat. Aug. 14
The alarm sounded at 6am and it was but 2 hours later that we set off on a 9-hour drive with our tail-wagging puppy, Jasmine. Due to a demanding work schedule the week before, Tim was super tired, so I grabbed the wheel and drove through traffic for the first several hours of our journey. All in all it was a fun ride, with Jasmine sticking almost her entire body out the window of the truck to feel the wind in her hair... err... fur, jammin' songs on the radio, Sonic milkshakes, Bojangles chicken & biscuits, and country dirt roads. We finally arrived at our beautiful beachfront property for the week - 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, large pool, direct view of the ocean... for 14 adults, 1 baby, 2 small dogs. After settling into our rooms and changing our travel-clothes, the bride & groom (whose wedding directed us to South Carolina in the first place) set up a wonderful meet-and-greet at an Asian-inspired restaurant called Bambu. The food was delicious, the company was full of laughter.
Sun. Aug 15
Early to bed, early to rise... for a day on the beach with the whole family. With the wedding scheduled for 6pm, we had the entire day to relax by the pool, sit on the beach, and catch-up on life since the last time we were all together. Unfortunately the rain showers came and went throughout the daylight hours, but smiles were not lost. Tim's mom made an incredible chicken salad (and I'm talkin' a LOT of chicken salad) for lunch, the beach was beautiful, and the dogs were having a blast running around. I love Isle of Palms for the texture of the beach. Instead of being soft, flimsy, and hot to the touch, it is packed firm and flat - you can ride your bike, take part in an intense game of Ultimate Frisbee, have a picnic, or just lay in the sun. I can tell you right now - I have been spoiled by that sand, and Ocean City will never compete.
Later that evening, the wedding took place on Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant, SC., just a 20-minute drive from our beachhouse. We arrived on the property a bit early (as it rained cats & dogs) to check out the old house, the guest quarters, the slave quarters, and all the land surrounding. Luckily Tim's truck can handle any kind of weather, so we saw everything from the comfort of a dry seat. After a while of searching for alligators (with no luck), we head over to the guest house for a short and beautiful ceremony. The bride wore a simple gown, with a smile to light up the dreary day. To her - the wedding was about bringing her closest family & friends to witness her commitment to this wonderful man, who accepted her for who she was - a vegan dance-machine! A short ceremony (15 minutes tops), a 3-part buffet (I very much enjoyed the make-your-own-baked-potato section), a photo shoot with the boys on the dock (no, they did not complain), a bridal costume change (into a short navy halter dress), a song selection direct from the bride's ipod (each song was like a blast from the past dance party), and a night full of laughter, amounted to one of the best weddings I've ever been to. No cake cutting, no assigned seating, no garter tossing, short speeches. All about love.
*Shoutout to my generous ex-roommate who offered me her summer-casual-birthday dress for the occasion. Compliments were received.
Mon. Aug 16
Today consisted of what would become the "normal activity" for the week. Waking up between 7-9am, eating breakfast, doing a bit of work, laying on the beach for a few hours, a dip in the pool, lounging around the gorgeous house, and spending time with family. Couldn't ask for a more pleasant, relaxing day.
Tues. Aug 17
Finally we were going to visit Charleston! I was super excited because I've wanted to see this historical southern city ever since my first Gone With the Wind experience. What could give me more intense goosebumps than walking the same streets as Scarlett O'Hara, learning about the entrance of Union troops in 1865 that had her racing by carriage to escape the flames? Needless to say - I was pumped! When we arrived, we took our own tour of the city, walking up and down streets that looked interesting, taking pictures of landmarks, and generally looking like a large group of tourists from a different country. Highlight: the "market" - as one Charlestonian said - filled with all the things we want but don't need. Naturally, I purchased a shot glass (an extravagant one at that) and a deck of cards. Later that night I was surprised with a gorgeous chocolate-colored purse that I'd been eying (to replace the one I've had since 2007) by my sweet boyfriend.
As Tim & Mat left Charleston early to catch their golf tee-time, the rest of us went on a 15-person carriage-ride tour of the city, led by a humorous guide and Larry the horse (who knew when to turn, when to stop, and when to neigh proudly). I will now bullet-point the history I deem most interesting/important:
- Charleston is known as the Holy City, due to the religious freedom not often found in the South. If you congregated 13 people together, you could start or practice any religion you so desired. In fact, Charleston is home to the oldest Orthodox Jewish synagogue in the South.
- The East Coast is actually home to the 2nd largest fault line in North America, and Summerville (20 miles from Charleston) is the center of that fault line. In 1886, a major earthquake destroyed 2,000 buildings, and convinced citizens to put steel "bolts" through homes to keep future structure. Some homes that didn't even need it put little plagues on the outside of their homes that looked like the "bolts" in order to seem more bad-ass.
- Rice was the major cash crop of Charleston, and slaves who had knowledge of rice farming were actually worth 3 times more than slaves who did not.
- In old Charleston, pineapples were a symbol of "welcoming." When men came home from oversees, their wives would put pineapples on top of columns to show the neighbors and community that they were welcoming guests into their homes again. (It was improper to be seen without your husband, or even receive guests while he was away.)
- When the war began, citizens of Charleston were asked to donate their iron (fences, gates) to the Confederacy. They were promised better fences after a Southern victory, which obviously did not occur. Instead of top of the line iron fences, the Confederacy offered wooden fences painted black. This became a symbol of honor - notoriety of contributing to the cause.
- Most homes in Charleston were built with the porch on the side of the house, instead of in front (space issues). They served as "additions" to the living space inside, and frequently became the spot to sit and relax, sometimes even to "let loose" with your pettycoat showing. Because of this, there were doors built facing the street that women (or men) could close when hoping for privacy. To state the obvious - doors facing the street wouldn't block a sideway porch, but people knew that when a door was closed, they should avert their eyes altogehter. Legend has it a man named Tom didn't understand the privacy doors (he was from out of town) and one day, when knocking wasn't working, he peeked around the corner and was later charged with a crime. Hence the phrase- "Peeping Tom"
- The major jail of Charleston homed the city's criminals, most notably the two first-known serial killers. A husband and wife poisoned 24 people, and were set to hang to death. However, because law states you cannot hang a married woman, the government found a way around it - they hung the husband first. Then the woman was no longer married. The major jail also housed free black merchants who came to town on business. They were forced to sleep in the jail for fear they would talk to black slaves and suggest ideas such as freedom and uprising.
- The first slaughter house in Charleston is now the Daughters of the Confederacy museum.
- Because kitchens were usually a separate building from the main house, slaves had to carry dinner to and from, sometimes in the dark. In order to make sure they didn't stop to hand off food to other slaves, they were forced to whistle the entire time. Legend has it the whistling caused dogs from the area to come and try for the food. So the slaves carried rolled up balls of dough to throw and distract the dogs - also known as "hush puppies."
Wed. Aug 18
Another day of "normal activity" - 9am wake-up, a Kurt-made egg breakfast, responding to work emails, a dip in the pool, and a rousing game of Taboo with the whole family. Later in the evening, the younger generation decided to check out this bar closeby called The Boathouse. While most went to the rooftop for a few drinks, Tim and I had a wonderful "date night" dinner in the fine dining room downstairs. We enjoyed a meal of Caesar salad, soup, chicken fettucini alfredo and steak. It was a delicious and romantic evening.
Thurs. Aug 19
Another glorious day of "normal activity" - 9am wake-up, a consideration of a run but instead a breakfast of bean dip (yea whatever, don't hate), a dip in the pool with the boys who thought a breath-holding contest was of utter importance, then preparation for our "nice" family outting. We got all dressed up and went to dinner at R&B's (a popular seafood restaurant in town). The atmosphere was serene, the service attentive, and the food scrumptious. I realized during that meal how much I adore this family... how special they are... how much they care about each other... how incredible it is to feel the love of a truly happy clan.
Fri. Aug 20
Sad to say this was our last day. Last day awoken by a delightful 2-year old (who just wants to repeat over and over again what color the pink nail polish is and the fact that the clear has "no color")... last day for an egg + bacon + pancake + grit + hash brown breakfast... last day packing up towels & chairs & sandwiches & books for a few beachfront hours... last day throwing Jasmine in the pool to convince her swimming is fun... last day with a most charming and amusing family, whose soul purpose is to keep everyone else happy and healthy. Tim, Mat and I set off on the 9-hour drive home around 3pm (after an annoying flat tire and rain storm). Sad to see the week end... excited for the next countdown to family fun!
