A friend of mine recently showed me a prenuptial picture of a relative – the couple was standing on the edge of a sidewalk, under a huge digital signage and beside a road sign that says “Couple Kissing” in place of the usual “Pedestrian Crossing.” It was a cute shot. That brought us to discuss how lucrative weddings can be. If it’s risky business for the couple to tie the knot, it’s serious business for the wedding planners, florists, designers, wedding singers/hosts photographers/videographers, and others. My friend, who also recently got married, is currently honing her skills and talent to become a full-pledged wedding planner. Now, that’s something I surely would like to see come to be.

I’m dreaming of beaches again. I used to think that I’d someday like to retire to a place where I can hear the ocean crash into shore every single day – some place where green mountains are within the view of my bedroom window. My house doesn’t have to be grand, but I hope the beach would be spectacular. Even now, I long for that peace and sense of calm. It wouldn’t be an escape but a homecoming of sorts. I’ve always felt that I belong closer to nature more than to the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s not as if I’m dreaming of far-flung places like the Caribbean or luxurious homes like Barbados villa rentals (although getting there for once wouldn’t be so bad).

That was the plan. But if global warming and these crazy weather trends won’t scare me away from that dream, the allusion to solitary life just might. Because really, spending my last few years on earth living like a hermit isn’t really what I have in mind.