Traveling as Newlyweds on a Budget {Mel’s Monday}
So I know I don’t have to explain at all to any of you what its like to be a bride/groom on a budget or even a newlywed on a budget. I don’t know if I thought right after the wedding we’d be able to save up quickly right away or what but um, that’s a negative. Yes, its only been 2 months since the wedding so it’s still “fresh” but I’m so ready to be up to speed again with everything.
I think I mentioned a few weeks ago right before we went to Orlando that my hubs and I were feeling like we were in a little “rut”. Stuck in the same routine living away from family and friends and just so ready to be on to the next phase in our life. We are definitely enjoying being “newlyweds” and have always had so much fun together no matter what we were doing. Still, sometimes we become home sick and get bored with saving, pinching pennies, and not able to live a little.
With a trip to Orlando coming up, I realized that even on a tight “after-wedding” budget, you can still make the most of the little things and opportunities that come your way. And with this mini overnight trip (Orlando is less than 2 hours away), we did just that!
I actually was headed there for a Saturday morning work assignment so we headed down Friday night and stayed in an amazing hotel right across the street from Downtown Disney. When I was looking for hotels (paid by work = savings for us!), I purposely parked us right near DD because I thought it would be a fun place to walk over and have dinner once we arrived. I knew it would give Mr. Oceanside a place to go and walk around if he got bored the next morning while I was away.
{I will now ask you to please excuse the poor picture quality again coming from my phone}
Our view at night looking over Downtown Disney:
Although we weren’t going to have any time (errr- or money) to go to any of the amusement parks, I was too excited to get out into the Disney vibe in Downtown Disney. I had already been there a before a few times in both Orlando and Anaheim but never with my hubby so I knew it would be fun.
We came across a new restaurant (new to me because it wasn’t there the last time I visited), called T-Rex. It looked amazing and FUN so we had to check it out. Besides, who could say “no” to this guy…
It was seriously cool. I was the biggest kid in there I think. Or Mr. Oceanside kept saying that. It was fun looking at all the kids faces and parents walking them up to some of the “scary” dinosaurs, talking them into how not to be afriad. Haha! Super cute.
There was a great bar right under a humongous octopus.
Brrrrr…entering the Ice Cave:
Felt like I was in the movie Jurassic Park- fun! Or maybe it really wouldn’t have been. Anywho…
So you can have dinner, drink,s or just shop there (its huge!) but we just walked around taking pictures. Lol. While we were walking through, the whole place suddenly came “alive”! And we got to see a little show. I tried loading the short video but for some reason it’s not working consistently. Boo! Oh well- gives you a reason to go and see it for yourself. =)
Ahhh to be a kid again! What an experience that would have been. It was fun as an adult!
So after we had an amazing dinner at Fulton’s Crab House we headed to Fuego, a great little cigar lounge.
Now I don’t smoke but the hubby enjoyed himself a cigar while I enjoyed my Mai Tai. =) We had a great time just enjoying each others company, talking about life, our future, and then did a little reminiscing as they played a bunch of old school music from when we were in high school and early years of college. It seems like just yesterday but after counting back the years I later reminded myself that I was a freshman 12 freakin’ years ago! WTH- where did the time go!? Geeezzz…I still can’t believe it.
Moving along, so we just took a short stroll through Pleasure Island to scope out the scene but surprisingly not much was happening on a Friday night. Or maybe it was still just a little before midnight so we were just early birds.
Here’s a bad pic of us at the Harley Davidson store. You know he forced me on that thing and had to get a pic of us. Haha! Dreaming he’ll have one someday. I know he will though- dreams do come true. ;)
One last pic of our view before checking out…
After working Saturday and before heading home, we drove over to Universal CityWalk Orlando to have some lunch and walk around. First we cooled off first with yummy Margaritas from Fat Tuesdays, compared our hand sizes to some of the all-star NBA players (at NBA City) and caught a little glimpse of Rome and The Colosseum, better known here as the Hard Rock Cafe. :)
Guess where we had lunch?
Did you guess Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.? I’ve had the Bubba Gumps in Long Beach (CA) a bunch but the hubby had never eaten there before so now he was like a kid in a candy store- great food, drinks, and all the Forrest Gump trivia you could ask for! I was so excited we sat at a booth right below this picture (of young Forrest and Jenny). It is one of my all time favorite parts in the movie when she asks Forrest to pray with her. I use to repeat it over and over again, attempting to do her accent. LOL. Such a dork.
“Pray with me, Forrest. Pray with me. Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly far, far far away from here. Dear God, make me a bird…“
But thinking of her prayer now, I guess we sometimes do wish or pray that when times get tough, right? Sometimes we want to escape the town we live in, our financial circumstances, a job, a family situation, a friendship or relationship. We just want it to all be better. And He always finds the most perfect timing to remind us that He’s not far in good times and bad.
Two days in a row before our Orlando trip, we saw three rainbows. And then we saw another double rainbow while driving back home.
Although we may have to postpone our dreams of world travels, a bigger place, another dog, and living close to family for just a little while longer, once again after a wonderfully short, on-a-budget-work trip, God reminded us we’re living a good life.
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