Chaos Parade: First Day of My Life

Today I'm getting married.....

HOLY CRAP.

Okay, let's start over. Today I'm marrying the love of my life. The person who stood by me through one of the hardest things I have ever gotten through, who still thought I was pretty after drinking too much and crying until I fell asleep, who was worried sick about me when I didn't care about my direction in life. The person who has taught me to be patient, who has motivated me to be a better version of myself, who shares the same dreams.

When we started dating (the first time) we took a trip down to New Orleans. It basically looked entirely like the picture above. On our way back home, we stopped in Montgomery, Alabama to see the Civil Rights Memorial and Memorial Center, where I first proclaimed my love by writing "Kelsey loves Corey" on the digital Wall of Tolerance. Moving, I know!

I was totally heartbroken after we had broken up, probably because he was the first person to ever say he was going to marry me, whether he was serious or not. Little did he know! The second time we started dating, it was very different and much more real. You could say we progressed fast, but Corey has always been the realest person I know. I remember driving to Charleston one night to hang out with him while he was at drill for the Army. Over beer (for him) and wine (for me), we talked about everything from religion to politics to family and death. I get butterflies typing this, remembering how I felt about us, our friendship and the way we just fit together.

The last time we visited Asheville, NC, we rented this tiny little cabin in the mountains. We ate a super southern breakfast buffet, walked around the city, drank beers and ate good food, and drove along Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a perfect little weekend getaway. So here we are a year later, going back to Asheville the night of our wedding!

It is honestly a little overwhelming to think about my life over the past couple of years. I'm not one to spend too much time reflecting on the past, but I can without a doubt say that I have never, ever been happier with myself. I've never been more content with life. I know that we have huge plans together and our future is what I look forward to each day. A future that doesn't involve double fisting whiskey drinks on Bourbon Street. ;)