An Island Wedding

On October 9th, 2015, Broc and I said our ‘official’ i do’s in front of a small group of friends and family. It was a hot, sticky, stressful, beautiful day and despite a few annoying mishaps (like getting makeup on my dress just minutes before pics were scheduled) I don’t regret having it. Thankfully I splurged and had a video made to go along with the photography and it does a nice job of highlighting our special celebration.

Megan & Brock Trailer from Elliott Anderson on Vimeo.

I didn’t get even HALF of what I wanted- from the flowers to the food- nothing was just right. But that’s what I kinda love about it, looking back. And thankfully our family stayed the week with us in Rincon, which was amazing as always, and gave us the best wedding gift ever- their time.

<3

A Few of My Favorite Things…

It’s been just around 2 months since we made the move from Arkansas to Puerto Rico, and the transition was as hard as I thought. I suppose moving anywhere new, without friends and family nearby, is difficult, but adding our “newly wed” state and the bit of culture shock, it’s been darn near miserable at times!

But for the most part, it’s been amazing. I’d take 20 days of wonderful over 5 days of misery any day, so I feel pretty lucky over all. Several things I’m grateful for include:

1. the ability to do contract work for Inuvo (my old company) from home.
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This has been a blessing for sure, as I was so worried about what I would do with my time during the day. Having new and challenging projects to figure out and getting to chat with my favorite boss every day makes the 8-5 weekdays quite bearable, even if I am completely alone (minus the dogs) for the better part of the day.

2. my dogs. duh. but more specifically, that they made the trip here without any problems and seem to be loving the indoor/outdoor space we have for them.

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Hilde hasn’t limped once since we’ve been here (which I attribute to the balmy weather) and her coat has completely grown back. She’s blind as a bat and deaf as a post but is getting around great and still get’s super excited when I yell the word “treat” at her. Continue reading “A Few of My Favorite Things…”

50,000 Miles Bonus Offer with Delta Skymiles Credit Card

I mentioned this in a previous post, but I am a big fan of airline cards because of the bonus miles they offer (only the first time you sign up, so after you use them it’s hard to earn many if you don’t travel often), plus the perks you get when flying.

Delta/Amex currently has 50,000 miles bonus offer that expires June 31st so if you have good credit I would apply now! A roundtrip flight from Little Rock to San Juan is just around 50K miles- I went to Delta.com and search flexible dates by miles instead of cash and found the following offerings:

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The first one is a bit more expensive because of the travel time, but if you want to fly for under 50k miles you’ll have to wait a bit longer or endure more connections. Take a laptop and watch a movie- it’s not that bad once you get here.

If you want to get here faster, you may have to earn more points in other ways. I think I signed up for some of their partner rewards programs and earned 5k miles here and there for simply purchasing something one time.

Terms: For a limited time: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months† and a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months.†

$0 Introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.

They usually tell you if you’re approved and provide the card number immediately so you can start making purchases quickly. It does take a while for the statements to clear so I’d spend that $2,000 ASAP in order to get the miles in time for the wedding.

Another option is just to purchase the ticket to San Juan on the Delta card- because you get your bonus miles (eventually) plus double miles on the purchase since it’s with Delta. So when you come back next year, you’ll be fully equipped to fly for free:)

117 Days Away!

It seems as if everyone has received their travel brochure/wedding invitation and I’m so excited that some people are trying to make the trip. We know how much of an expense and inconvenience it is to travel to Puerto Rico for a week, but we also know everyone loves a good vacation and this island offers some of the best beaches, food & cultural experiences anywhere in the world!

Here are some suggestions for those of you looking around at flights and places to stay:

According to this site, the best day to buy your ticket is on a Tuesday and prices vary by the hour. I always use Kayak and set up a price alert, as well as the flexible travel option that shows you airline prices 3+ days before and after you might want to come. If I was booking today, I would go depart 10/2 or 10/3 and return 10/8 or 10/9- but play around with the dates and pick what works for your schedule.

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(Also check airline reward cards for bonus offers like this one through Delta/Amex. It’s the best because you don’t have to use just points, you can subtract your points and pay the difference in cash. 50,000 bonus miles is a GREAT offer so I’d apply for it ASAP and put all your bills on it for a month or so… That’s what Broc and I did the first time we visited and only had to pay $220 total for both us of to fly roundtrip after using points) Continue reading “117 Days Away!”

Feliz cumpleaños mi marido!

Today Broc turned 38!!! 38 years of a life full of living; of hard working, fast-driving, loud laughing, heavy drinking, loving, whole-heartedly, always giving, putting others first, doing anything for anyone, kind of living. The kind of life any person would be happy to lead. Man I love this guy… And so do so many others. Here’s proof…

happybirthday from megan knight on Vimeo.

Settling in…

The days are beginning to drag a bit here in quaint (empty) Palmas, and I need a golf cart to really get around inside the resort. The jeep broke down on Sunday in Fajardo (about 30 miles from home) but we were super lucky that the resort entrance attendant, Sunny, had some mechanics on staff who rigged it up within an hour. Broc was able to Youtube what the issue was and apparently it’s a common gear shift malfunction that only needed a minor part. (I played it safe and kept my camera in its bag during all that…) However, it also needs new tires, and getting them to the island is an adventure in itself! No one from the states ships anything that big here for under $500, so we’re stuck dealing with Costco and its lack of inventory and English speaking employees. I can’t drive on balled tires so for now, I’m left to sit around a pool and PLAN A WEDDING!

Yes, it’s true, we decided to have a wedding/party here in Palmas, so our friends and family have a definite date to schedule a visit. I’m finding that most people aren’t as adventurous or perhaps “plan-oriented” as I am, so my wedding invitation is looking more and more like a travel brochure… Here’s a sneak peak at the front and back cover. It’s a 12 page booklet of where, how, when and all the details of what people should do before or after the wedding. Broc says it’s intimidating but that no one will be surprised because it’s from me. (I’m not sure if that’s a compliment, but I agree with him; people know I’m a bit OCD on planning…)

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More on that to come, but I’m pretty excited we decided to have one.

I also finally broke down and bought Rosetta Stone so Broc and I could get serious about learning the language. I was hoping to take a Spanish class at the community college here but apparently they only teach English (go figure). And the language barrier is causing my isolation to heighten. Broc works from 7-7 so I’m pretty much by myself all day. It’s not miserable yet, but I’m anxious to start working again. We are excited about Broc’s mom coming at the end of the month, then my friend Amy and her husband on June 7th. Daniel surprised her on her birthday with the flight tickets (what a guy, right?) and we can’t wait to have our first visitors!!!

Hilde is getting older by the day and we’re pretty sure she can’t hear at all. Sunny is still his weird little self and has taken up post at the front door to watch for whatever he thinks is out there in the wild-wild-west of Palmas Del Mar. I’m afraid he’ll be waiting there a while… We do have a famous neighbor though, the Puerto Rican raper (Jose) Cosculluela, which is pretty exciting. I haven’t figured out how to meet him yet though, and am not sure he would welcome a plate of box-made brownies. I just decided to add him on instagram so maybe that will be my in.

Other than that, here are a few things I’ve discovered I miss from back home (besides my friends, family, work, and the English language):

  • Ranch dressing packets- no one carries them
  • Box wine- no one carriers them, but they DO sell liquor at Walmart, which is a little weird.
  • A pantry- we have zero food storage
  • Central air- every room has it’s own unit, so any room you’re not spending time in is 150 degrees
  • Lexus’s – we both drove one, and a jeep is quite different!

That’s about it for this exciting week so far… We do have some parties to attend tonight and then it’s the weekend, so hopefully lots of action to come!

Adios amigos

 

Our New Home

We finally found a place to live- after viewing thousands online in Arkansas- and couldn’t be happier with the choice. Aquabella is one of the larger gated communities within Palmas and every home has the same Mediterranean feel, open floor plan, and lush backyard spaces. It’s 2,800 sq ft, fully furnished, and has SIX infinity pools to lounge beside. Even the dogs can’t decide on their favorite room yet (although Sunny has some strange affection for the walk-in closet). We wanted enough space for people to come visit and I’d say we got it!

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Continue reading “Our New Home”