Sylvia's Journal

Last night we completed the final act of the wedding play that lasted a week. Sita’s now official in-laws, a double pair of parents, took us out to a lovely seafood restaurant in Gloucester; there were a few more toasts and Axel finally read from Khalil Gibran book of love poems that we had all see him buy when we were in Beirut in March.

Today the newlyweds will head home with their car full of the decorations, wedding clothes, and, especially, boxes of gifts, and envelopes with checks and cash to replenish the shrunken bank account.

I am looking towards my departure (tomorrow), assembling and packing the stuff that was stacked in boxes when we arrived a week ago. I am also starting to think about how I am going to spend the two days in the quaint B&B a short train ride north of Amsterdam. I have some ideas and, having gotten over the disappointment of not staying there with my honey, I am actually quite looking forward to having time entirely to myself.

You know you are on vacation when you haven’t checked your watch for 24 hours, didn’t check email, facebook, anything and just go with the flow. It has been a wonderful long drawn out party that started with homecoming last Sunday and was finally over when the last friends left this afternoon.

The overflow of friends and family came in with well wishes throughout Saturday to sit in the clear air and the leftover (windy) remnants of Earl, to swim, to kayak, and to sit by the fire on the beach; a fire that has remained lit for over 24 hours. A small group stayed once more for the night, this time staking their tents out in the open and on spots with great views.

The next morning they helped us dissemble the tent, stack the empties, tied the garbage bags, cleaned the dishes, picked up the cigarette butts, throw out the wilted flowers. Everything looks as if nothing happened, except for the flattened grass and the huge stack of wedding gifts and cards with the kind of cash that a newlywed couple needs.

We just finished opening the gifts, the final act of the wedding party. The guests have gone and it is the final goodbye with family, mothers, fathers, siblings at a restaurant in Gloucester. Departures are in front of us now, the honeymoon starts and the vacation is nearly over.