The single girl vs wedding season

Its a strange feeling when your friends start getting engaged, and crazier yet, actually getting married and having kids.  Before now, I've only known one close friend, from high school, who got married during our senior year of college.  We all made the long trip down to Georgia for the wedding festivities and a brief goodbye to her single life.  Ok, that part was just done by us single ladies after tequila shots and a little drink called "jet fuel."  Still to this day, I'm not sure exactly what was in it.  Perhaps it's because I don't see her anymore, other than through facebook, but I never really saw that as a huge impact on my life.  And I guess to be fair, when friends get married, it really doesn't effect my life at all. 

Now, with two friends recently engaged and a wedding to attend next week, my life is swirling with poofy white dresses resembling pastries, stories of bride/mom-zillas that usually end in tears and the horrifying question dreaded by singletons everywhere: Do you have a plus one?  A simple, yet necessary question.  But for those of us who's love life is quite comical most days and/or prefer not to take wedding photos solo/ with your parents or with your arm around a martini (I cringe at the thought), what is a polite response (other than a gasp)?  Simple.  To avoid an awkward situation by asking someone who is perhaps interested, perhaps not (its hard to tell), bring the best friend.  At least there is someone to take goofy pictures in the photo booth with and to excuse yourselves to get another martini at very opportune times such as couples dances and personal relationship questions.

Last night, while researching invitations for a work event, Hannah came across probably the best bridal website on the planet.  Filled with dresses, flowers, garters and honeymoon lingerie, I've never seen camouflage look so romantic.  My fear in someone picking this theme, and obviously not the only one, would be the very concept of camouflage.  Isn't that supposed to make you blend in to your surroundings?  "Sure honey, you can marry me, but you'll have to find me first."  I picture a scared looking, shifty-eyed woman sitting in a tree or shrub, face smeared with dirt and some twigs and leaves sticking out randomly from her tiara-ed hair. (http://camo.simplyformal.com/index.php/wedding/bridal-gowns.html)

But, as I looked through this surprisingly large selection of camo-gear, I was intrigued.  What other kind of bizarre and outside of the box weddings have people actually had?  Let me just say, I am in awe.  I've always known, by the absolutely ridiculous amount of wedding shows, that people can get a little, well, crazy, about their "big day."  But never in my life, has walking down the aisle dressed and painted green like Shrek and Fiona ever crossed my mind.  Ever.  I would think that if you were going to go for the whole fairy tale wedding idea, the ogres wouldn't be at the top of the list.  To each their own I suppose.  I expected to find your typical cult classic weddings: Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, etc.  And while I did come across a few of those, I was more surprised/terrified/insert shocking verb here at the other themes that came up on multiple occasions.  For example, nazi wedding.  Wow, really?  What the heck did that reception look like?  I really hope to god they made sure their guests were not minorities of any kind.  Granted, as I read further, it turned out that this was a WW2 reinactment wedding, but still.

Another option, for the free-spirited nudists of the world, is a body paint wedding.  This was actually a double wedding.  So, the brides painted white dresses on their bodies and wore white tutus, while the grooms were in painted tuxes.  Only.  Now, I'm a pretty open minded girl, but the thought of walking down an aisle to a free-balling hubby, just doesn't really sound appealing.  I feel like that would make the reception extremely awkward as well.  Naked dancing, hmmm.  It made me wonder, is everyone naked?  Or just the bride and groom?  If the whole wedding party is naked, I'm not okay with that.  Never, would I ever, want to have my dad walk me down the aisle that way.  That's just creepy, and disturbing and oh my god, I never what that thought in my head again!  Moving along...

Probably worse, and Hannah's worst nightmare was the clown wedding.  I don't think I need to say too much here, just think about it.  Pennywise wedding, so romantic!  But, I did come across some crazy ones too, not just disturbingly creepy and bizarre ones.  One couple decided to get married while in a shark cage in the water with great whites.  You know, nothing says love like impending death.  I guess everyone has their own preference for their big day, but if any of my friends decide to celebrate with anything as creepy as mentioned here, I will be terrified.  And to be honest, I don't think I could taunt sharks willingly, Deep Blue Sea was a scary movie and my name is not Samuel L. Jackson.  Although, if I bring someone to a theme ceremony, it would make for a much more interesting afternoon provided that I actually have a +1.  Bring it on wedding season!

American African: The adventure never ends

One year ago, on July 13th, 2010, I boarded the plane unsure of whether I should be crying or celebrating (I did both). As I said good bye the country that I sometimes loved, sometimes loathed and above all called home, I took one last look at out the window as the sun came up.  I had hoped to see the Mosque on the beach, one of the islands or even the early stirrings of my favorite markets.  Instead, I was sent off with one last view of that god-awful, ugly statue given to Senegal by North Korea.  The Renaissance Statue, given in exchange for a portion of Senegalese land, was originally a tribute to the struggles of their ancestors, but it came under a ton of criticism.  Between the accusations of idolization, unnecessary expenses and Wade comparing it to Jesus, I really have no idea what it signifies.  Needless to say, with an eyeroll and an "Oh my god," I flew out of Africa.  (This is legitimately, the last picture from Senegal that I have, ridiculous)

A year into my service over there, I was, most often, listening to year old music, drinking g-sap (gin and bissap), probably eating my kool aid drink powders out of the pouch instead of actually mixing it with water and finding myself amazed at how much I prefered my little village, without electricity or running water, to being in the city.  The funny thing is, last weekend when I went to Maxwell Street Market in the South Loop, I actually found bags of bissap!  I bought a pound.  My friends were amazed at how quickly I was able to spot it, grab my cash and buy it.  I swear it was less than 10 seconds for the transaction.  And to be completely honest, I don't listen to the radio so I still don't know what is popular right now, I still prefer to read with my headlamp as I am too lazy to get out of bed to turn out the light once I'm comfortable and I actually just poured drink powder into my hand and ate it.  At work.  Yea, they think I'm pretty strange.

I met a bunch of newly returned peace corps volunteers the other day.  It was really refreshing, but at the same time sent me in to a bit of a panic.  It was nice to have such an immediate connection and understanding with people I had just met.  But I really started thinking about what I was doing, what I want to be doing and how I can get there.  I have this overwhelming urge to just go to some random country and be a badass for a while again.  As much as I would love to go fight malaria in Kenya for 6 months or teach English somewhere for a year, I'm nervous that doing something like that would set me back.  Living in another village battling mosquitos with my bare, deet and/or neem-infused, hands really wouldn't move me forward in my dream to work in gender and youth development, despite my experience in anti-malarial initiatives.  Also, the Peace Corps paycheck wouldn't help much in paying off my student loans.  Teaching abroad might be okay though.  Eh, who knows.  I'll have to think about exactly how I want to be involved in women's rights and development.  Journalism side? Or activist side?  Or both?! 

But even with these questions, so much has changed in the past year.  For one, my tan is actually a tan.  Its no longer me thinking that I'm tan, taking a shower, and realizing that its just dirt.  So that's a good thing.  I don't use acronyms to describe every aspect of my my life, friends included (unless I'm with other RPCV's.  Oh crap I just did it).  Goats don't eat my clothing and trees, scale my hut, sleep on my pillows, taunt me endlessly, etc... at least that I know of, sneaky little things.  I haven't had any mango flies, creeping eruption infections, parasites or heat rash in over a year.  Over all, I'd say that this year has been a success.  I am sad to say though, that Maffe (unless I make it myself) is very hard to come by.  As is millet and unpasteurized milk.  Apparently there is some kind of rule that says drinking it is unhealthy.  Also, I can't have a weave in America without looking absolutely ridiculous.  I like to think that I pulled off the white girl weave with amazing style.  I've never looked sexier.  And, perhaps most of all, I do wish I could still take bucket baths.  It was a great excuse to walk around outside naked.  If I try that here, I might get arrested.  Unfortunate.  Either way, I guess America isn't so bad ;)  But, I will say, I am ready for a new adventure.

Looks like not that much has changed.  :)  Just a different climate.  In the snow picture, I had just stepped off a ledge without knowing before I was covered, waist-deep, in snow.  The picture on the right, I had just been stung by a scorpion.  I think I like the scorpion one though, I look really hardcore haha!