You Stay Classy, San Diego

If you remember that my three (yes, all three!) brothers live in San Diego, then you'll know where this post is going. See, every two years, my family has a little reunion. And by "little," I mean that there's so many cousins of grandparents that by the end of the night, no one knows what's what and half the people there are calling me Jennifer or asking if I'm dating my brother, Brad. (True story. Ahh!) (Also, they clearly don't KNOW he's my brother. THAT would be weird. Not like it isn't weird anyway.)

However. This year's family reunion has a couple things going for it. For one: it is hosted by my three brothers in beautiful San Diego, which is a step, leap, and a bound ahead of our location two years ago: Rome, NY. You didn't know there was a Rome in NY? Well, it's okay because no one else did either; it made Buffalo look easy to get to. NEVER AGAIN, Rome.

For second: This is the first family reunion for which I will be 21. Sound the trumpets! Cue the confetti! This means this is the first family reunion where a. I will not be basically the only sober person between the ages of 13-21 there (for some reason there's a big drop off in that age in my family's, er, offspring results) and b. This is the first family reunion where I don't have to designated drive anyone, anytime, anywhere. Oh, the glory.

Thirdly? Well, why tell you when I can show you? I took the liberty of snapping a screenshot of the forecast for the week. We'll be arriving Thursday afternoon, and leaving Sunday morning.


LOOK AT ALL THOSE YELLOW CIRCLES. You know what? I totally deserve it. It has been 90, humid, and downright oppressive here in New England for, oh, the ENTIRE SUMMER. And, AND, I'll get to sleep in an air conditioned hotel room. What a luxury!

But the best part of the family reunion being in San Diego this year? Instead of the Rome, NY Quality Inn that whichever miserable, miserable distant family member of mine booked us two years ago, my brothers really did keep it classy, San Diego.

Which is why I'll be spending my four day, five night mini-vacation at the Island Palms Resort, San Diego.


Have I told you that I love my brothers? Because I do. They're simply wonderful...


...really, just the best brothers a girl could ask for.

The hotel is also right on San Diego bay, so Friday night we'll be having our big reunion dinner in their banquet center, and Saturday night we'll be having a dinner cruise on the bay. Saturday afternoon is also going to be my future sister-in-law's surprise (shh!) bridal shower! All of my brother Brian's female relatives will be in town and we thought, what a perfect time to host her shower! It's so strange to think that I'm getting a sister, since I've only been able to meet her once! But I'm so looking forward to her shower and getting to know her better this weekend. Plus, we all know I'm obsessed with everything-wedding, so. There will be that.

And my mum and I fully have plans to get mani/pedis and sip mai tais, poolside. THE LIFE.

Hopefully I'll have tons of amazing pictures to share when I get back. I wanted to bring my L.'s camera, which is the official unit of photography here at Things I Said and Meant to Say, with me on the trip, but darn it he actually wants to bring it to NYC this weekend to use, himself. PSH. Since when does L. use his own camera? Or get the first bite of any of his food, the first sip of any of his drinks, for that matter?

That being said, I will miss him on this trip. Just a little.

[All images via Island Palms Resort]