I mentioned our “we’re outta here” checklist. It was very thorough and very detailed, and critically hinged on executing tasks in a timely, daily manner. For instance, before we could go to the Los Angeles Ecuadorian Consulate for our 180-day extended visas (12-IX) we first had to get police reports and blood tests done. Before we could sell the car, we needed it to accompany the U-Haul for the 2 hour drive to Orange County storage (nearer my brother and out of the desert heat). On-line banking had to be established, but first we had to create new email accounts in a virtual world that did not include our home’s cable account. Utility companies had to be contacted. All needed to be accomplished in a precise, timely order.
One of those checklist items was “get married”. Sorta like, if it’s Tuesday, June 1, we’re getting married. We timed it to coincide with our last day in our Palm Springs home, and planned on heading directly to the mountains of Idyllwild (on the way west, towards LAX) for a short honeymoon on our way out of the country.
It’s not like we rushed into marriage; neither of us had been in a hurry. We’ve been together for almost seven years, and discussed it from time to time. I mean at our age, it’s not like we’re anxious to have kids (I am divorced with 3 grown daughters and one granddaughter and this would be Todd’s first marriage). We get along great and had a “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” attitude. We were both skittish, and as I explained to Todd, it was a hell of a lot easier to get into a marriage than get out of one.
My other hesitation was our last names.
You see, I like my “Frost” name; I’m proud of my “Frost” maiden name, and it was a huge hassle to restore it after my divorce. No way was I giving that up. Maybe a hyphenated last name, but “Frost” was staying. Todd’s last name, "Hebert", is Cajun and is pronounced either “ay-bear” or “ee-bear”. If we got married, I could potentially be Leigh Frost-Hebert… I know, I know…. It looks dignified on paper, but say it out loud. That’s Leigh Frostybear.
We decided to keep our wedding simple. We wanted to get married in Palm Springs or Idyllwild, just the two of us. Get the license; go to city hall, git ‘er done. Nope. Palm Springs City Hall was our venue of choice, but, despite a flurry of activity during a legal interim of the Proposition 8 debacle, marriages were no longer being performed there. We ended up going to the Indio Courthouse the last morning we were in the desert and had a civil ceremony.
It was actually much more romantic than it sounds, and a young 29 Palms military couple stood up for us, as we did for them. We finished up some last minute house business in Palm Springs before throwing our suitcases and final storage boxes in our rental car. We got to Idyllwild late in the afternoon.
It was actually much more romantic than it sounds, and a young 29 Palms military couple stood up for us, as we did for them. We finished up some last minute house business in Palm Springs before throwing our suitcases and final storage boxes in our rental car. We got to Idyllwild late in the afternoon.
Bliss. We stayed at our favorite rustic mountain cabin hideaway location. We celebrated with a dinner at one of the town’s nicer restaurants, and essentially took a few days breather from the previous months’ stress. We told very few (sort of our special secret for awhile) and we still giggle at calling ourselves “husband”/“wife”, since we’ve been saying it for years in both personal and business relationships. In all seriousness, though, we do feel a sense of wonderment and awe about our new status. Now we are official……We are the Frost-Heberts. We haven’t changed that on our passports yet.
We unpacked and re-packed in Idyllwild to get our 4 suitcases and carry-on’s within weight limits. Also we made a lot of love, ate well, hiked, made-out, unpacked/re-packed, ate well, played cards, made a lot of love, unpacked/re-packed again before our final pass through Orange County to our storage bin and a long weekend with my brother Jack in Laguna Beach, including a day trip up to LA to finalize our final 180-day (12-IX) Visa paperwork. Anyone with a valid passport may enter Ecuador for a maximum of 90 days, but for longer stays the extended Visa is needed, and is a necessary requirement towards establishing residency status once in country.*
*EC regulations/procedures change faster than a speeding chicken bus on this issue, so those considering the move should do their research well, and often.
No comments:
Post a Comment