Marriage License Is More Than A Piece of Paper

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Marriage License Is More Than A Piece of Paper

Monday, October 9th, 2006

Before my husband and I finally decided that we’d had enough of the wedding planning and eloped, we checked into what is required to apply for a marriage license. We found a really helpful website, www.usmarriagelaws.com, that told us everything we really needed to know about each state’s laws to obtain a marriage license. The site gives you the fees and requirements as well as phone numbers and locations that you need to contact. I was very happy to see that my state no longer requires a blood test. Needles don’t thrill me.

Before we got married, we lived together for 2 years. We had been a couple for 3 years prior to that and although my husband was the one who ultimately proposed, he didn’t see what the big deal was about being married. In his eyes, if we were committed to one another, we didn’t need a marriage license to prove that. In my opinion, that simple piece of paper was a huge deal and I was starting to really want to have one of those in my possession. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him or I thought he had plans to leave, but I wanted to know that we had taken that extra step.

Once you’re married, it is not as easy to just split up. Sure, divorce makes it pretty easy these days and they can get quite nasty, but when you aren’t married, you can just announce your “break up” and walk away. At least when you’re married, you should have a stronger sense of commitment and work harder to maintain it. At least, that’s the ideal thing to do. To many people nowadays, that marriage license doesn’t mean anything to them. I find that very sad and heartbreaking. I’m not getting married to get divorced. If I had any doubts of my chosen partner, a marriage license would not even exist. I wouldn’t take that huge step if I didn’t want to work to maintain its meaning.

We ended up eloping to Jamaica simply because the wedding plans were starting to become more of a nuisance than a joy and the costs were starting to scare us entirely too much. We married on the beach in Jamaica and came home with a marriage license that had cost us quite a bit less than it would have in our hometown. Do I suggest eloping? Of course not. I’m simply saying that eloping saved us quite a bit of grief and money and we still ended up having that marriage license in our hands. I’m not one of those people who hang their marriage licenses on the wall for all to see, it’s hidden away in our safe so as to not get damaged or lost. But, I know exactly where it is, and what it means.

Posted in Engagement, Family, For the Wedding, Living Together, Marriage, Others, Party, Personal, Special Events, Travel | No Comments »

What about Family Travel Deals?

Wednesday, June 21st, 2006

When was the last time you had a vacation alone or with your family. Well, if you’re a hard-working adult like most of us are, it’s probably been a while since your last break from the stresses of reality. It seems rather difficult these days to just get away from it all. Have our lives become more chaotic and busy in modern times, or have we all simple forgotten about good old-fashioned fun? Regardless of the reason, it’s time for a much-deserved vacation.

There are a plethora of family travel deals going all the time. The only trick is finding them. Where do you want to venture off to on your next big vacation? Well, it’s time to huddle up for a family meeting and find out. That much anticipated break from the mundane is just around the corner. Pop open your laptops, folks.

Have you been to cyberspace lately? Now look close, because I didn’t say outer space. As much as you may have wanted to be an astronaut, you might have to settle for virtual reality like the rest of us. However, cyberspace is always within your reach. You have a PC or Mac, right? Then get online and check out the vast array of family travel deals. That trip to Hawaii or the Bahamas can be a reality.

One of the great aspects of the contemporary vacation is the price. No more paying for everything separate and getting shafted. No more settling for the only guy out there’s offer. These days we are flooded with options in our very own living rooms. Pop open your favorite search engine and you’ll see what I mean. Family travel deals are all inclusive now days. Get your airfare, lodging and even meals taken care of ahead of time. For one low price you can deal with the bill before you even get on that plane. This will allow you to have a much more relaxing and enjoyable stay.

When was the last time you browsed through the infinite family travel deals online? It’s as easy as knowing where you want to go. What is your preferred destination? Punch it in and view a variety of hotels, restaurants, and amenities in that area. This makes it easy to decide where exactly you want to stay. Then sift through family travel deals regarding that location. With the numerous websites competing for your cash, you will easily pinpoint the best deal out there. It’s time to begin your next vacation. Get online today and locate the best family travel deals. Travelling with family is most definitely different from going with friends. Check out each stop of your trip online and you won’t regret it!

Posted in Children, Family, Honeymoon, Living Together, Marriage, Travel, Vacations | No Comments »

Beach Vacation Rentals for Summer

Tuesday, June 20th, 2006

All of us want to look great in our bathing suits. When summer hits, we strive for that tone body and tan. at the beach. Although a weekend of fun in the sun can be a relaxing experience, many of us prefer a longer stay. Those crashing waves and warm sand are hard to turn away from. The sun calls to us whether we like it or not. Luckily there are options other than the standard hotel room. Beach vacation rentals are an ideal place to spend your summer.

If you’ve ever took that family vacation to the coast, you probably have memories of a basic hotel room, which if you’re lucky, was ocean front. You stared out at the serene waterfront from your balcony. It was an experience that probably lasted for a couple days. This is likely due to funding. You may have the vacation time, but the hotel rooms can get pricey. With beach vacation rentals, you can plan your entire summer at the beach. It’s actually like having a home away from home. No more renting a hotel room far in advance to ensure you’re close to the shore. Check into beach vacation rentals for a more reasonable stay.

The Internet provides us with a wide selection of websites, which offer many great deals on beach vacation rentals. No matter what your price range is, you can certainly find something that’s right for you. Surf the packages and locate that ideal place to lodge. It beats finding that last minute hotel room. You can reserve beach vacation rentals in advance so you know it’s waiting for you when the sun creeps out and the temperature rises.

When I was a kid, we always took that family vacation to the beach. I recall one summer when I met a couple of kids while roaming the shops. They were dark tan and certainly seemed in their element. After getting to know them a little, I discovered that they had been staying there for weeks. I was a little baffled by this, especially when they claimed that they didn’t live there. It turned out they were there for the entire summer and living in a beach vacation rental. Wow, I was jealous. Why didn’t my parents ever consider this? We sure liked coming to the beach, and always wanted to stay longer. Beach vacation rentals were the answer to our problem. These days with the Internet on your side, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy a fun, and affordable summer at the beach.

They name it differently elsewhere. In parts of Asia, beach vacation rentals are known as chalet or resorts. So, you might wish to take note of this while looking for your ideal beach vacation.

Posted in Children, Family, Honeymoon, Living Together, Others, Travel, Vacations | No Comments »

Engagement Ring Styles

Monday, June 19th, 2006

It can be exciting, enthralling, or even overwhelming to investigate the many gorgeous engagement ring styles available. It didn’t ever seem that way for either the bachelorettes or the bachelor on the show The Bachelor, but maybe the designated jeweler was directed to offer just the three or four engagement ring styles we the audience see the girls and then the bachelor choose from.

When I was looking, I had only to walk across the street from the restaurant where I waited tables, in the quaint but classy town of San Anselmo. There, a cool jewelry designer/goldsmith showed me a few antique and modern engagement ring styles, and then offered to design a one-of-a-kind setting for me. I agreed on the latter, and decided that the ring would have a quasi-tiffany setting that ramped dramatically on the sides, making it simulate the Golden Gate Bridge and making the diamond appear more pronounced, as the setting was raised substantially more than the traditional engagement ring styles usually are. This design, though it boasted a three-quarter carat diamond, also made me feel better, despite how little money my man and I really had to invest in a ring.

This many months later, however, I understand that there are certain criteria to follow when going shopping ahead of time for particular or any engagement ring styles and designs. (I imagine Drew, having been in business for over twenty years, knew these steps already, thereby saving me the need to research, which was tougher in those days, as we didn’t yet have access to the net.) Anyway, here is what I understand you keep in mind when considering engagement ring styles:

First, it is up to your likes and dislikes and depends upon what you want to or can spend.

Next, the engagement ring should be easy to wear, should be practical for everyday, all-day wear.

Next, the ring should be well-designed and subsequently well-crafted, so that the gemstones are securely set and the prongs of the setting do not snag, etc.

And finally, according to a veteran jeweler online, the ring has to look good. That’s where your individual taste(s) matter(s).

Do you see the desirability and feasibility of the classic tiffany setting? Do you prefer a round diamond or a square emerald? Do you want silver, platinum, yellow gold, white gold? How much can you afford? One of my relatives, a self-made millionairess, wears a teardrop diamond on a one-of-a-kind setting that looks like climbing vines. She is in a field where these kinds of engagement ring styles are acceptable, and she has long beautiful, thin, fingers, so the spread of the design does not dwarf her whole hand. It all depends on you who you are, what you want, and what you are able to come up with.

There are many jewelry sites that allow you to design your own engagement ring.

Posted in Engagement, For the Wedding, Gifts, Marriage, Personal, Travel | No Comments »

Adventure Travel For Ordinary People

Sunday, June 11th, 2006

Most of us have taken a travel trip sometime or the other in our lives. But if you have been on a travel trip in the recent past, you could not have failed to notice that a new category of travel has made itself very prominent. Known as Adventure Travel this is a new way to travel that is not just popular among the youth and those whose veins are filled with adrenaline, but even among ordinary people like you and me!

It is not really difficult to fathom why. Regular travel, has, over the years gotten boring and predictable. With the prices of airfare coming steadily down and package tours becoming more common than ever before, conventional travel has become stifling, overcrowded and boring. The sense of adventure that is usually associated with travel has become obsolete. Until adventure travel came on the scene that is. With adventure travel, travel can once more become that exalted activity that brings us in touch with new cultures and people and broadens our horizons. The very raison de etre for adventure travelis unique experiences something that all of us, irrespective of our personal preference of travel, want!

A sample adventure travel trip for instance could offer you a very unique way of seeing an otherwise popular destination. Now, most people you and I know have been on a Caribbean travel trip. They would have visited the same old beaches, stayed in the same old hotels, driven along the same old roads and seen the same old touristy sights. But sample what an adventure travel trip to the Caribbean could offer. You could take an eco-trek through the Caribbean rain forests, you could see the birds, the insects and the animals up close, you could camp with the local inhabitants and learn more about them, their costumes, their food and their culture by actually interacting with them and you could discover the joys of virtually deserted, unspoiled beaches. All of this while being relatively close to the popular tourist destinations, yet away from the humdrum and drab experiences.

Or imagine an adventure travel trip to Australia. While most travelers do the staid, old, boring city hop across the continent, you could, as part of your adventure travel trip, balloon your way across the continent, snorkel in the great barrier reef, share a billy with a jolly swagman and waltz with mathilda and a joey or two in the bush country! Doesn’t the adventure travel option sound like more fun when compared to the regular travel option?

It is precisely to cater to this need for a unique and interesting travel experience that the genre of adventure travel came into existence. And adventure travel is not a genre that is restricted to the teens and tweens. Increasingly, older adults are opting to go on adventure travel trips. And they are having more fun, learning much more and reliving their experiences at every given opportunity, much to the envy and consternation of regular travelers. You too could be the one to go on an adventure travel trip. The only thing stopping you is your imagination!

Attention to readers:

Planning for unexpected emergencies and disasters is always a good practice. Have a good disaster plan and emergency kit on hand whether you are on the beach or in the mountains will ensure that you are fully prepared for a variety of possible emergencies.

Posted in Children, Family, Living Together, Marriage, Others, Special Events, Travel, Vacations | No Comments »

Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category