Where In The World Is Pam?

Pam’s post about the kickoff-off to her wedding festivities reminded me about how my wife and I felt when we got married in 1997. I’m Jason from the Ancient Fire Wines blog and I have to thank Pam for asking me to be a guest poster while she and her Baby are off on their honeymoon. I met Pam through our mutually wine focused blogs earlier this year, drawn to her incredible style, creative ideas, knowledge of the local wines and unending zeal. We’ve exchange many great messages since, including blockbuster wine recommendations and a brie and fig pizza recipe that knocked the socks off of party guests!

Congratulations to Pam and Her Baby!!! Their story is definitely one to celebrate and I have all the belief that their wedding was a wonderful and unforgettable event. And not to let us all down they are now spending two weeks in New Zealand! I haven’t been there, but having studied the winemaking and the wines I know enough. For wine-obsessed people New Zealand is one destination with a plethora of unique sights, tastes and sips to make for a wonderful trip.  I’m jealous, for sure.

I thought I would share the story of how my wife Margot and I met and how we’ve celebrated our story as an affirmation of the precious life Pam has ahead of her.

When my wife and I tell people that we met on a college spring break trip to Jamaica we often get a lot of surprised looks. Pam mentioned love at first sight, well sort of. Make no mistake I thought Margot was cute and she definitely got my attention when I first saw her. I on the other hand wasn’t looking very presentable and my reputation as a party guy didn’t help. We talked a lot that week hanging out on the beach, swimming in the ocean, jumping off cliffs and climbing the world-renown Dunn’s River Falls. We both headed home hoping to get to know each other better and see what happened. We were both denying it…

( What a trip! We all still talk about it. Margot is

in the back center and I am on the right in back )

Our relationship flourished in the remaining six weeks of my senior year. I’d be leaving New Hampshire to take my first job in Connecticut, and she’d be heading home to work another summer before her last year of school. We visited as often as we could and when school resumed I made the trip to see her every other weekend. Our time apart was painful but the effort we spent made our relationship stronger. We got our first apartment together the following year and commenced being inseparable. Having a person around that you share so much love with is intoxicating, and being able to spend all of your time together is a true joy.

Being young, working our first jobs and not wanting to burden our families with the bills from a wedding, we went small and planned it quick. Due to job demands and some questionable choices on our part our honeymoon was a bust and not a great way to celebrate. We were not deterred. We were married, overwhelming happy and living a dream.

But fear not, we’ve celebrated with three return visits to Jamaica. Hopefully some of our favorite sights and the emotional connections we have to them come across as examples of what awaits Pam and Her Baby in New Zealand.

Jamaica is a place of stunning beauty with lush tropical forests opening out onto white sandy beaches and clear blue shallow waters. On our first trip back the first thing we wanted to do when we got settled in was walk on the beach. Hand-in-hand is the best way to take in a sunrise walk on the beach!

( Sunrise in Runaway Bay, Jamaica )

While we didn’t jump off any 40 foot cliffs since our initial trip to the island we did revisit Dunn’s River Falls. If you get to the Ocho Rios area of the island this is a must-do activity. Hikers start on the beach and hold hands to help each other climb up the slippery rocks up to head of the falls. Margot and I are all over that. Being able to splash around in warm pools of water, kiss under the falls and spend time together in such a beautiful place are precious memories. (Unfortunately our all of our falls pictures are in print form and we are down a scanner at the moment.)

I’ll leave with something that gives away healthy and loving relationships every time, smiles.

( Christmas 2005 )

( A beatiful Jamaican day! )

( Private dinner on the beach )

( Out for the evening )

( Margot was having an equipment malfunction! )

( This picture says it all. Hanging with your best friend in one

of the most wondferul places we know )

Best wishes to Pam for safe travels and more fun that they could have ever hoped for. Oh, and some great wine!

I’ll be back next week with a New Zealand wine review and photos and stories from the party we threw celebrate our 10^th anniversary.

Cheers!

--Jason