Lindsey Parker is no longer my wife!

I'm on my sixth hour of my layover and my twelfth hour of being awake. I woke up at 4 am this morning so that I could catch the 7:25 am flight to Detroit from Atlanta, so that I can be in Detroit for my flight to Beijing at 9:25 pm. Yes. That's right, I said PM. Then, I'm on a plane for virtually 14 hours and I lose an additional 12 hours due to time difference and I arrive in Beijing at 11 pm on Monday. Then, I'm going to hang out at the Beijing Terminal 3 for about 6 hours and get on a plane to Kunming. My flight leaves at 7 with a layover for an hour - then I should arrive in Kunming by noon, and hopefully get on a fast bus by 2. Eight to nine hours later, I should be in Lincang. On Tuesday. So, by Tuesday at 10 pm, I should be closer to a bed than ever before. I feel like it's imminently within my grasp.

So.. before I leave the glorious country that is America, I thought I should probably share with you the original purpose of my coming back so briefly. My wife of almost 7 years on Facebook, Lindsey Parker got married. It started as a joke freshman year in college - ha. ha. two girls married on Facebook that actually like boys - that never ended until this year when Lindsey called me three times in a row, sending me into a panic until I realized that it could only be good news.

Lindsey was getting married and I would be going at any cost. 

Us, the summer before senior year in college in 2007, at the opening of H&M in Atlanta

Lindsey and I have been friends since middle school - better friends in high school, and best friends in college. We roomed together our senior year and it was the best year ever! So when my best friend calls me to tell me she's getting married to the boy that we've been waiting to propose to her for the past 5 years,  I ask - when is the wedding - and start making arrangements. Her wedding on July 9 meant that I was going to be leaving my Chinese class early, and flying a week before the end of school back to America. Meanwhile, I got a promotion at Teach for China and would need to be attending the Summer Institute Training - so I would need to go back to China soon after I returned to America. 

AHHH.

First things first, I bused from Shaojie to Yunxian, Yunxian to Lincang - then flew from Lincang to Kunming, Kunming to Beijing, Beijing to Detroit and Detroit to Atlanta. Then, I went home, freaked out when the bridesmaid dress DIDN'T FIT - spent the following day in alterations and flew to Charleston later that same night. 

Patrick, my amazing date and friend from college picked me up from the airport and kindly deposited me in a French cafe the next morning so that I could easily meet up with Linds. 

Hands and toes done and $50 later - our nails were done and I thought I was  ready for the wedding. There was a rehearsal dinner, plus a little down time where I got to hang out with Margaret, say mean things to her friends in my hazy exhaustion, and wake up on the beach. 

The beach was beautiful, so were these men. Yes, I'm a stalker. Then, I met up with Alex Connors, who I hadn't seen since 2007.

We look the same. 

After a quick meal, I ran over to the hotel where Lindsey was getting ready and did my own hair. Lindsey was so calm and I was freaking out partially out from her peace. I kept saying that I would be done with my hair any second, but really, there was no rush - I had over 2 hours to do something that normally took no more than 10 mins. But soon, the wedding was here! Lindsey's wedding was at Magnolia Plantation - everything was green and beautiful.

Here are some highlights: 

Date!

 

Bridesmaids!

The wedding party

As you can see, Lindsey had 5 bridesmaids. Two sisters, Susan and Katie, and two girls from school, me and Sydney and then another girl who she's also really good friends with - Leah. All of the groomsmen were married or otherwise involved. No wedding romances here! Our dresses were hunter green which brought out the brightness of the flowers splendidly. Everything worked out in the end and Patrick and I ushered Lindsey and Matt at the end of the night with sparklers. 

The end of the night culminated fantastically when one of the Lindsey's family members came up to Patrick and me to remark on our dancing: 

Her to Patrick: Can I just tell you, I've been admiring your dancing this entire night.

Her to me: ... and my husband has been admiring your dancing.

To Patrick: Tell me, how do you keep it so contained?

Oh the power of the Southern accent. No matter how many times I say it, it still sounds creepy but somehow when she said it - it sounded nothing but courteous and complimentary! Needless to say, you can bet money that we kept it classy, contained and were stars on the dance floor. 

Lindsey Pooks! Even though you're an Albertson now, you'll always be my Pooks!!

Now, it's a week later and I'm back at the airport and on my way back to China. I've eaten innumerable delicious coma-inducing Mexican meals that I'll not soon forget. 'Til 2012, America - I'll miss you!!!