The Brightside Vol 17

The Brightside Vol 17

May 8th, 2020

ON REPEAT:

WELCOME TO THE BRIGHTSIDE

This week was a rollercoaster. High highs, low lows. The highs included daydreams of going back to NYC and the lows were usually tethered to a low-grade panic attack at how different New York will be from the one we left in March. Both mine and Zach's leases are up this summer, so we’re planning to go back to the city to move (TOGETHER!) in late June. We’d probably stay down here in Florida indefinitely if it weren’t for the pending move!

TBH when we got down here in March, the summer & our move sounded eons away. But now we’re in that 2 month crunch time where we need to find a new apartment, organize movers, figure out what we’re going to need to buy, you know thee drill. I’m still battling questions I can’t answer like, what if we can’t go back to work until after the summer? How will working together in a 750 square foot apartment go? But we're taking it day by day, enjoying the process, and trying not to get too bogged down with questions we can't answer.

ANYWAY, enough about me. How are YOU?!

Highs:

Some great, cathartic phone call catch ups.

Getting REALLY into Melissa Wood Health (thanks for the reco, Megan!)

Doing virtual apartment tours with Zach - we're looking at this building in Jersey City!

Lows:

Having a day that felt very “unproductive” and beating myself up about it - ugh! Lose lose.

Confusing insurance conversations ... not fun ever, but especially not amidst COVID.

Wise words from Glennon Doyle

"Crisis means to sift. Let it all fall away and you'll be left with what matters."

Anyone else seeing Glennon Doyle books all over their instagram feed? It seems like everyone I know is reading Untamed, but I recently picked up Love Warrior. In it she talks a lot about crisis, and this quote really hit me. Over and over throughout the course of this pandemic I've been reminding myself to just be. This message was a reminder to accept this reality and everything we cannot control, and to invite what will follow with an open heart.

The Week in Pictures

From top: my charmed fringe bracelet that I'm OBSESSED WITH, donuts from The Salty Donut in Miami, my hydrobabies, and of course: your weekly Louie content.

Guest Post: Kaitlyn Pedalino on Wedding Planning

I'm so happy to introduce my dear friend Kaity Peds, aka Stoop Kid who's sharing her experience about wedding interruptions during COVID-19. Her big day was planned for April 9th - and, well, I'll let her tell the story. Sending lots of love to anyone who's big day or other fun plans have been put on pause.

Hello fellow Brightsiders, KP here! My fiance, Jonny and I were originally supposed to be wed on Thursday, April 9 and leave for a Adriatic rendezvous on May 22nd. Due to uncontrollable global circumstances we’re now 0 for 2 on both fronts.

When the pandemic started spreading in late February, I started feeling anxious about us having to postpone the wedding and before long that fear became a reality. Around March 20th, New Jersey mandated all weddings must be called off - to say this was a huge disappointment is a complete understatement. Even town hall cancelled our appointment to get our marriage license. We’d been planning our big day since December 2018 and to have it mandated an illegal gathering was quite the blow. Luckily I have a wonderful fiancé, family and friends who have been so supportive - but still. Getting so close to our dream day only to have it taken away from us was devastating.

On the brightside, we weren’t the only people feeling the ramifications of the shut down so rescheduling has been a pretty smooth process. We spoke with our venue immediately and rescheduled for Wednesday, August 5th. When it came to rescheduling with our vendors (DJ, string trio, florist, photographers, hair/ makeup) they couldn’t have been more accommodating. Since we are now getting married on a Wednesday (not your average wedding day) they were all available and happily rescheduled. As of today we are in a holding pattern until the big day gets closer, our biggest priority is the second round of RSVPs and keeping a pulse on progress with the virus in case this date needs to shift again.

We’re excited for a pandemic free wedding day, whenever that happens. We’re hoping at this point it becomes a week of celebrations after being cooped up for so long. And as for our Adriatic adventure, we’re excited to plan this again once things become safe again. And who knows, maybe that will turn into a trip with more destinations that we had originally planned. Jonny and I are lucky to be healthy and together during this (hopefully) just a blip on the Jeremy Bearimy timeline of the universe.

If you have any questions on wedding planning feel free to ask because I’ve done it twice now and I’ve only been engaged once and divorced never!

I have my eye on this yummy bathrobe to replace the one I've had since college ...

thanks for readinng along. if you want to get in touch, hit me up: [email protected]

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