I just went on a road trip with my roommate from college for a friend’s wedding. She had a destination in Asheville, NC, which makes it a bit difficult for friends and family to get to, but also a great excuse for a vacation and a fun adventure. If you’re one of those people that formed close friendships and bonds in college, you jump at any opportunity to see those friends after college. College is such an intense, short time and when it’s over, it feels very bizarre to no longer be in that environment and to not have all those close friends around you all the time. Getting to see an old college roommate or friend is such a delight, and that’s exactly what this trip was.

Asheville is a great, artsy town with lots of restaurant, bars, and young people. Oh, and dogs. It is one, if not the, most dog-friendly town I have ever been in. The restaurant and bar culture there is famous for serving locally and sustainably grown food with many vegan options. Asheville is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which serve as a beautiful backdrop to the super fun, hip town.

Weddings, especially those of friends and people your own age, are a lot of fun, if not also a bit daunting when you think about where your own life is in relation to the advanced stage of life that your friend who is getting married is at. Nevertheless, witnessing a marriage ceremony is pretty spectacular, especially when the love between the two people getting married is so obvious and real, as was the case at this wedding. The setting was beautiful, overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains at sunset, the decorations were original with paper lanterns filled with flowers as centerpieces and paper lanterns hanging over the dance floor, the number of guests was fairly small and intimate, there was a fun photo booth, and there was a very sweet paper lantern sendoff (which my roommate and I both decided we would incorporate into our weddings as well!)

It was such a fun adventure with my college roommate, and absolutely wonderful to see our friend as a beautiful, happy bride.