I think it was back in September (or maybe August) that I was invited to this wedding. I remember being at Fado in Buckhead that night. It was right after I'd been making out with Kelsey for the first time. It was a couple minutes after that arousing moment when Megan asked me to be her date to her girl friend's wedding.
The timing wasn't great, but we'd all been drinking and Megan was a good friend. I asked her where the damn thing was. "Seaside," she said. At this time I wasn't familiar nor aware of this whole Seaside place, but it had the word "sea" in it, so I inquired further. I was quickly educated that it's (past & present) a sort of Floridian paradise. The terms were great (a couple days off work, transportation, balling place to stay, BEACH, 85 DEGREES), so I obliged that evening.
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| Seaside Wedding Itinerary |
[Fast forward a few days or a week.] Megan had written down some instructions on one of my notepads:
I was pumped because: I love formal events. I love the beach. I love meeting new people. SHOULD I GO ON!?
The morning of departure had come. I was packed and ready to ride down to this "Seaside" place at 6:30 AM (EST). My ride wasn't 1 minute late before she called me from the gate.
The ride down was pleasant and soothing. I think she was tired because she didn't say much. That was great. I didn't want to talk (at first). After a few cups of coffee I got really pumped and excited for what was in store for the day and weekend! Megan probably became very annoyed, but at the time I would never have realized it. I was really freaking pumped to check out "Seaside" at this point.
After what seemed to be only a few hours (of talking and looking and thinking and texting) we were already crossing some causeway over a beautiful inter-coastal waterway of some sort.
The olfactory perception had gradually transitioned from woods to salt-air to that raw beach/ocean scent.
I'd never seem a beach town quite like this. I was initially a little creeped out because it looked and felt so eerily perfect. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but when Megan mentioned that this was where they filmed that Jim Carey movie (I forget the name of it), then it became even more surprisingly disturbingly comfortable. THE TRUMAN SHOW. That was the name of the movie. I remember watching that movie way back in the day when I was a child. I need to watch that movie again to get a fresh perspective and bearing on what Seaside (30A) did to me and my emotional and psychological capacity.
I don't think many people, no matter how pessimistic, could complain about such a place. Truth: this town emitted at least a slight touristic tinge. However, as soon as you think the place might be cheesy or cliche, you feel that it's the real deal and legit as *&#@ (all at the same time!). It's strange and hard to explain. Not many places can pull off or, much less, gamble with that delicate of an atmosphere.
This introduction wasn't the most entertaining, I know, but it was needed. The juicy stuff is coming up next in [Part 2].
To be continued...
