Our Californian Anniversary-Moon: Part 1

Sorry for the absolute blogging silence:

Work + Vacation = A Very Hectic (but happy) Life

Steve and I enjoyed a blissful 9 days in California at the end of September - primarily a work trip for Steve (shooting a wedding in L.A. and an engagement session in San Diego), but we had plenty of time to just hang out together. It was SO much fun!

While I, of course, forgot to bring my little point and shoot camera with me, please forgive me for all of the fuzzy iPhone photos.

Day 1

So excited for our early morning flight to L.A. - I'd never been before and was sure I'd see them running through the airport chased by paparazzi - I was not excited for my "window" see that actually looked out onto a wall. Sad face. Thanks, Mr. Pilot, for announcing the Grand Canyon when we flew over it...I definitely couldn't see it!


Doesn't Steve look excited for our 9 whole days spent hanging out together?!


When we got to the airport, I was disappointed it was so quiet. All of the celebrities must not fly American Airlines. Anyway, we collected our bags and hopped the $7 shuttle that would take us to L.A.'s Union Station, where we would then pick up our rental car.

While the shuttle was a breeze, what wasn't so breezy was the rental car desk that closed early even though we had a reservation. WTF? Since it was Sunday, we were pretty much out of luck in getting a car. Steve didn't seem to mind that our plans were completely changed.


He even did a little yoga while we hung out at Union Station. Check out his Royal Dancer posture.


Why were we hanging out at Union Station, you ask? Because we were having a late lunch/early dinner with Dana and Hunter (aka Mr. & Mrs. Meatball, aka the masterful minds behind The Broke-Ass Bride). They took us to a great little restaurant near their apartment and then to a bar for some good German beer. Yum! It was so nice to hang out with them, and we so appreciated them taking a break from unpacking in their fabulous new place (and, umm, for picking us up at Union Station with all of our bags)!


Since our rental car was a no go, we hopped a cab from L.A. to the city of Torrence where the wedding was taking place the next day that Steve was hired to shoot. One very lost cab driver and $100 later, we were finally there.

Fortunately, we had checked into a Doubletree, where they give you chocolate chip cookies upon check-in. Score!


Did I mention that they were warm chocolate chip cookies? That really sealed the deal for me after a long day.


We immediately dropped our bags off in our room, ate the cookies, and headed out to a nearby Pinkberry for my first Pinkberry experience. I opted for the original flavor topped with strawberries, crispy little chocolate things, and animal crackers. I'll be honest, it was a little sour for me on it's own, but the toppings balanced everything out very well.

And that, my friends, is how Steve and I spent our 1 year wedding anniversary! Whew.


Day 2

Up bright and early, I headed over to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for some caffeine before the wedding. I thought I loved Coffee Bean, but their drinks are waaaaay too sweet for me. My heart will always belong to Starbucks.


I donned my "I'm assisting my husband at a wedding" get up that I purchased specially for this trip. I'm pretty sure that this is something that 100-pound 18-year-olds should wear, but desperate times call for desperate measures and I needed something to wear.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful (check out a sneak peak on Steve's blog!). High in the hills, overlooking the coast, dreamy and romantic! I'm not the best photo assistant, but (hopefully) I held my own.

Day 3

Up bright and early again after a long day, we got back in a cab to return to L.A.'s Union Station. This cab ride was trickier than the first, as our driver 100% did not know where he was going, took us all around to places we did not need to go (although I did get a good view of the fashion district), and $100 later we finally arrived. Whew.

After a delay with our train, we finally board our Amtrak train headed south down the coast. We sprung for Business Class seats (only $90 for both of us!), so we had more leg room and a nicer ride. Steve took advantage of the free Wi-Fi and did some work.


I checked out the view of the ocean...I won't lie, it was probably the worst weather day we had in California - overcast, gloomy, a little rainy.


And I enjoyed our snack pack! Apparently in Business Class, you get free snacks, wine, and water. The oatmeal cookie wasn't nearly as good as the cookie at the Doubletree, but free is free in my book.

I did leave L.A. with a heavy heart, as I didn't run into a single celebrity. What gives, L.A.? I thought you were teeming with 'em? I would have even accepted a D-list reality star. I guess there's always next time.


Up Next: Part 2 of our Anniversary-Moon spent in San Diego!