Searsport, ME

(May 11-14) On the day we picked up the rental car in Burlington to drive east to Maine it started raining. Little did we know that this rain cloud would be one of our companions on our trip around the world. The drive to Maine took about 6 hours from Vermont mostly through country roads that wound along rivers and creeks. We saw massive barns and electric green fields. Between some of historic little townships we passed through would be a hodge podge of mobile homes with add-ons to give the illusion of grand homes but had the look and feel of frankenstein gone amuck. How people live in little metal boxes in those kinds of winters is a mystery. I enjoyed the lazy ride out to Maine. We only stopped once or twice for snacks and potty breaks. By the time we reached Maine the rain pelted us again and lead us home to our hotel in Searsport at the Yardarm.

When we checked in we were told no one else from Ben & Ariel's wedding party had checked in. We foolishly thought we'd have a nice quiet night to recover from our cavortings in Vermont. Dinner was at a seafood restaurant with dark wood walls that made us feel like we were in someone's warm house. The views of the ocean we're grayed in by the rain and heavy fog. We both ordered lobster because as they say, "When in Rome!" The lobster was smoother than butter and it melted in our mouths. We left the restaurant content and full and drove back to the hotel to call it a night.

A hand written note on our door beckoned us to the Mermaid to meet up with the wedding party to have a beer. It was a cute little pub run by an 87 year old man and teenagers as green as the hills. A couple of drinks later we retired over to AJ Nickels, the site of the wedding festivities and home to nearly the entire wedding clans, for a nightcap. The hotel is a grand old Victorian mansion complete with parlor rooms, dining rooms, serving rooms, a bar, etc. I felt like I was in a life size replica of the boardgame clue. The bar was located in the center of this giant home and had beautifully handcratfted wood. The few of us lounging at the bar sloshed through the grass down to the location of the wedding ceremony along the coast line. The bride and groom had picked an enchanting place to get married. Matt and I finally threw in the towel and called it a night. It was the first and yet another string of late late nights celebrating life and friendship.

The next couple of days in Maine became a blur. It rained the day before the wedding so we hunkered down in our hotel room and caught up with the rest of our Peace Corps friends who arrived about mid-day. Nothing like reminicing over warm PBRs. Everytime our group gets together for a wedding there's always a new addition to the fold to coo coo over or as Ted likes to do teach them things like Poo Poo Train. Mostly we laugh at ourselves and at each other.

The rehearsal dinner was supposed to be a huge lobster bake and bonfire but that was thwarted by the nasty weather. We all cracked open some fresh Maine lobster under the white tent pitched on the lawn and then went back inside to the formal dining room for a candlelite singalong. Prior to the festivities kicking off for the night the bride's mother along with some others performed some wonderfully fun and entertaining dances surrounding love and mother-in-laws.

After the pre-wedding party died down we retreated to the Carriage house with the groom and his groomsmen for more merry making. No sooner had the cases of beer arrived before we were kicked out on our tushies. The Carriage house weren't prepared to join us in our jubilation. Matt and I walked back over to the Nickels to get our car and found it stuck deeply in the mud. So deep in fact that half a dozen men couldn't help rescue it from it's sunken state. We abandoned the car and walked the quarter mile back to the Yardarm. Our room became the epicenter of party. We had cold beer and music so it was the perfect combination to lure the lushes over. I finally fell on my sword at about 3 am.

The day of the wedding the weather was less of a foe. It was still chilly and overcast but at least if wasn't raining. Matt and I bypassed a trip up the coast with our friends and opted to recover our car from the slurry of mud. One attempt by Ben's dad to pull it out snapped the nylon line in two. We eventually were aided by the staff at the Nickels who towed our rental, with front wheel drive, out of the mud with a small bright orange tractor. I watched as made fish tailed the car through the slick mud. Those watching were sure he was going to get stuck again. With our car safely out of danger we parked it back at the Yardarm and rested up for the night's festivities.

Being the fifth of our eight weddings the ceremony went as ceremonies do. It was lovely along the coast with the tide low revealing the mossy rocks below the surf. The sky was streaked with clouds that made for a dramatic sky. I opted for fashion instead of warmth and was nearly purple by the end of the vows. It was a mixture of Jewish and Celtic traditions and ministered by one our of old Peace Corps alums. The bride and groom could not have glowed more. The celebration lasted into the twilight of the night with the post-party taking shape in our hotel room again. Usually at weddings I tend to stick to those I know or whom I feel comfortable with but I found myself coming out of my shell abit and mingling with Ariel's and Ben's friends and family.

The day after the wedding we brunched and said our goodbyes. We took an alternative route along the coast with a lunch stop in Portland. We had set our destination on White River Junction but due to the heavy rains and extreme flooding we had to redirect our route. The drive around Lake Winnepasake was breath taking. The creeks and rivers along the roads were bubbling with water. Eight hours later we finally made it safely back to Vermont. Monday we flew back down to Connecticut our last stop before leaving the continent. It was one hell of a trip on the East Coast. I was so beat from all the reunions of friends I actually looked forward to catching some sleep on the long flight to Manchester.