OMG OMG OMG. In other words, the OMG post.

by Mom101 on 09.19.09
in Uncategorized

This week, I went to this event called Swagapalooza–which, hello, moms would be reeeeeamed for if they ever dreamed of throwing such an event. But we won’t go into that right now.

It was actually not a swag whore thing –the swag bags were definitely secondary to the event itself–but rather a digital influencer experiment (how very 2009). Think the Shark Tank meets Donny Deutsch meets the Gong Show, only with a Justin.tv live twitter stream broadcast on stage as companies were pitching us. Which happens to be to be a lethal thing when coupled with free wine, no food, and 125 hilarious twitterers.

So when a site called Voyage.TV which is launching a six week Tweet Your Trip promotion, asked us to tweet our dream trip and they’d pick one at the end of the hour, I’m not sure how seriously anyone took it.




Then I tweeted:

And I forgot about it. I was too distracted by the mini Milky Ways I had tracked down in the bathroom (don’t ask) and by the most excellent company around me.

That is, until, a little while later, when the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life stood up on stage and announced my name as the winner.

And I cried.

OMG people. We’re going to Spain.

The last real trip that Nate and I took, just the two of us, was a drive to Montreal on our anniversary five years ago. We have a beautiful child to show for it, so I’d say yep, it was a memorable weekend. But still – five years ago. That’s a long ass time for two people who really adore traveling.

Since having the kids, there have been family trips and family weddings and family birthdays in Florida and the Great Trailer Experiment of 2008, and we’re very lucky in the sense that we haven’t exactly been stuck at home for five years straight. But still, we’ve yet to make that much-needed, relationship-healing, just-the-two-of-us kind of romantic trip. Every time we think we can scrounge together the money and the time off, even for a b&b weekend in the Berkshires, another family member calls with another travel obligation and we end up shelving our plans. Which kind of makes Nate want to kill himself.

Things haven’t been easy since Nate started culinary school. Our schedules are turned upside down, and we barely see each other between the hours of 6 AM and midnight. I’m so proud though of how hard he’s been working and how much he’s been sacrificing, that I keep saying if I had a million dollars, as that song goes (sorry, it will be stuck in your head now for the next 16 years), I would take him on his dream trip to Spain to eat at El Bulli and pronounce z as th and gorge ourselves on churros that aren’t served out of a cart on the 3rd Street Promenade.

Let’s just say Nate is obsessed with Spain in a not entirely healthy way. The guy reads the Fodor’s travel guides to Barcelona for fun.

And now we’re going. We’re really really going.

Oh, except there’s this one other thing.

Because I was smashed (seriously empty stomach with that open bar) I added:

I may have jumped the gun on that. Although I think Nate would do it if we somehow got into El Bulli.

—

Update: As it turns out, Voyage.tv picked my entry based on the first tweet and not the second one. PHEW. Which means we’re getting a big crazy, poor culinary student, foodie trip of Spain. Suck on that, Bordain! We did actually look into the whole marriage thing, but as it turns out, two weeks is not nearly enough time to pull off a wedding in Spain. Also, I’m not nearly as spontaneous as I’d like to think I am.

{67 Comments}

67 thoughts on “OMG OMG OMG. In other words, the OMG post.”

  7. Wait, you mean it's strange that I get a kick out of reading travel guides and planning imaginary vacations?

    I'm so happy for you guys. Much needed and well deserved.

  8. I'm so thrilled for you guys! My cheeks hurt from smiling for you. 🙂 -Christine

    p.s. If historical patterns hold, maybe bring birth control. Unless you want another baby of course…

  10. Spain. *SIGH*

    I lived there for two years and miss it with a passion I should really just reserve for my husband.

    Go to the Costa Brava. Skip Ferran Adria's schtick and go straight for the little family-owned joints. And eat the snails. You won't regret it.

  11. HBM, I told Nate that I would try almost everything if we're eating in those kinds of restaurants. He doesn't believe me. But then, he's the fish eyeball-eating kind of guy. Me, not so much.

  14. It's when you least expect something to happen for you that Fate steps in and says “Surprise!”. I am so happy for you and wish you the best time ever.

  16. What an excellent outcome to a tweet! Congratulations, I can't wait to hear all about the trip – and the food too of course!

  17. I loved Spain when I lived there for a semester in college. However, I don't have fond memories of the food… but that's probably because I was a poor college student and never ate at awesome restaurants.
    Anyway, have a wonderful trip and enjoy! :o)

  19. Wow! Congratulations! I would LOVE to go to Spain one day, cuz my brother lives there with his wife and to see all the beautiful and amazing places I hear so much about.

    Good for you! Be sure to post all about your trip and the fun things you do while there!

  21. Wow. You are one of the luckiest women I know! I've never even had a honeymoon yet, and I'll be married 8 years this October — Doug was supposed to book it and never did…I'm still mad. We might get divorced over it. Ha ha. 🙂

    Have fun! Can't wait to see pictures!

  25. And this is why I should really stop ignoring Twitter contests because I'm “never going to win,” huh?

    Congrats!

  27. Wow! I step away from Twitter for a little while and look what happens! So happy for you guys! Nate is probably already planning his meatapalooza.

  29. Congratulations! That's awesome! And Spain really would be a beautiful place to get married…

  30. Awesome! I don't know you and yet I feel totally excited for you. The only part I've been to in Spain is Barcelona and it was great. My husband was all about the sangria. You'll have a blast!

  31. Awesome luck. You guys deserve it. You'll be live-tweeting, right? So we'll ALL be there with you.

    How romantic [for us all!]

    xo

  32. I second the commenter who said bring extra birth control. I think Nate would insist on naming the baby chorizo if it was conceived in Spain.

    Have a wonderful time!

  34. Ahhhhhhhhhh, so excellent! I love the marriage twist too. You MUST pull it off I can't think of anything more romantic….also easily done after a few glasses of Spanish table wine and an empty stomach. (wink wink)

    Don't forget to check out the Vechia de Jamon. Seriously. You'll recal this post when you pass by one.

  38. OMG. All I can do is repeat your title. OMG!

    (I was just talking to my husband about moving to Spain someday. I'm not sure I've convinced him yet. So, blog a lot about how awesome it is when you get back, okay? But not while you're there, obviously, because I think you should be, ahem, BUSY while you're there.)

  39. wow. a trip to spain! congrats. you deserve it. i have been to barcelona twice and i looovvve it.

  41. That's pretty effing awesome, dude! Spain rocks. So does the cheese and the pork products. Way to win!

  44. How wonderful!!!!!!! You will love it there. I went about 12 years ago and it is still hands down the most amazing place I have been (this included trips to Hawaii and Alaska)

  45. I love this post because your excitement is so authentic that it's contagious! Even for those of us who don't even know you. 🙂 Have a great time, and congrats on WINNING!!!!

  46. So exciting! I've always wanted to go to Spain. It would have been better to go pre-stretch marks and post-baby belly hang for the beaches, but I'd take it any way I can get it now. Congratulations!

  47. Holy crap. You just proved the “you can't win if you don't enter” point for me! Congratulations.

  49. omg, that is wonderful! congratulations! if all goes well, i may get to visit spain for work next spring so collect cool things for me to do. 😉

    have a wonderful trip!!

  51. Seriously, congrats! That is an awesome prize, and it sounds like you really need that trip.

    (Now off to think of an entry for myself, because we desperately need a relationship-healing trip, too.)

  52. I love the punch line. You could have a commitment ceremony over tapas. Or snails. Both?

    Congratulations, Liz. I hope you two have the BEST time EVAH! 😉

  54. So exciting!!!!!!!!!

    My last time on a plane was when Beatrix was five months old. She just turned 9.

    Please take and post many pictures, so I can pretend I am in Spain too!

  55. woooooooo!! awesome!! congrats! so happy for you guys – you will LOVE Spain of course. And, if those travel guides didn't lend any good tips, you can always email me for a few good places to check out.

    ps. I'm also diggin' this post because you happened to mention Justin.TV, which is where Jon works! Thanks for that! 🙂

  59. Well, since Chorizo is taken you could go with Rioja, Manchego, Paella, Jamon, or even Aceituna…

    On those notes, make sure you make it in to Andalucia to enjoy the wide variety of tapas–awarded to you for free when you buy a beverage in bars in some cities (See: Ubeda).

    And FYI- The shrimp are more intimidating than the snails as they still have their legs and their beady black eyes. But boy are they TASTY.

  63. That's fantastic. Good to know that good things DO happen to good people.

    My colleague just returned from Spain. He shopped in local markets and cooked most of his own meals. Tons of seafood. You're in for a real treat.

    And if you ever head up to Montreal again, be sure to let me know.

  65. So GREAT! It's a key distinction: family trip versus VACATION. That's when you go without your kids (or conveniently forget them in the rest stop or at the security checkpoint). Enjoy! And if you can't get into El Bulli, maybe just scoop some seafoam off the beach on Ibiza, put it in a bowl and presto–

  66. That is so fantastic! I hope you guys have a great time, and that you blog all about it. Well, almost all about it.

    And I know what you mean about loving to travel but having to put it on hold. I keep thinking we could at least take the kids with us on a trip to Italy, but who can afford that? Maybe voyagetv can…

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