I was telling a friend today that my future in-laws have graciously and generously offered to host an engagement party for Chris and me in Melbourne. He said to me that if we were seriously not going to consider Australia at all for our wedding that he would really consider coming to Australia this December to be at our engagement party. He’s always wanted to visit Australia, so why not come when we’d be there and there would be a major event for us happening? I told him I didn’t think our wedding would be in Australia, and he asked why not. I told him that two-thirds of my bridesmaids are broke and already told me that they would not come if we had a wedding in Australia, another good friend explicitly said she would not come if it were outside the U.S., and worst of all, my own mother said she would not come to Australia for any reason. “Why not? She can afford to come,” he responded. Money is not the reason (to be honest; she won’t tell other people that). The main reason is fear of flying and hatred of travel. Yes, because those are healthy things to allow guide your life – fear and hate, he said to me.

Yes, I know.