It's that time again! Time to get a new car, and the research phase is part of the fun!
My dad and brother love cars. Me? I really like them, but I think I love the research process more than what's under the hood. And just as cars have gotten better over the years, so too have the research options.
YouTube is the best for car shopping. My favorite channels:
There are countless others that I have watched as well. I have literally spent hours upon hours these past few months watching reviews (there are just so many options).
I have really enjoyed my time with my BMW 330i GT, but I'm moving away from BMW. Their design language in today's models is... weird. Not very “BMW”. They are going through a phase it seems. Plus, they have this new subscription pricing for everything which feels very unnecessary (such as for heated seats...wtf).
I think I've narrowed it down to a Mercedes or Lexus, but the model... well, I'm not sure yet. Something sporty seems fun, but I also like to be comfortable as I'm not a pure sports car kind of person. I'm also leaning towards a sedan. I know that Lorena has a slight preference for SUVs. I could be persuaded to a small-sized SUV... and if anyone can persuade me of something, it's her. 😅
In any event, I have a nice list of cars that need a test drive!
Lorena and I are getting married, but are so frustrated that we have not been able to set a date thanks to COVID.
We downsized the Austin (legal) wedding so that it would be a “micro-wedding”. Only immediate family will be coming. Or so we thought...
We were inclined to have the wedding sooner in 2021, but my parents were uneasy about travel without a vaccine. So we pushed it out. Now my brother (who lives in Germany) is unsure he can travel for a late spring wedding since Europe has a different timeline. They are currently behind in distribution apparently, and they have more border regulations which could make his return challenging after his visit.
So, do we move forward with a date or postpone again? It's like we are unable to plan something that we are so excited about – and that's really starting to weigh on us. We have the religious ceremony in Mexico to look forward to, and at that time my brother would be able to come (hopefully), in addition to my sister-in-law and nephews.
Honestly, I say let’s just do it and then later in Mexico everyone will be able to attend. Besides, at the end of the day it’s about us.
Lorena and I looked at a wedding venue today for our Austin wedding, and it looks like a good option.
This one is going to be on the smaller side, with just close (immediate) family. Even without COVID this would be smaller than the event in Mexico, but the pandemic is tightening our numbers a bit more, for sure.
The Winfield Inn is located about 30 miles south of downtown Austin. It's really accessible and the property is really pretty (though when we visited it was still showing some wear and tear from the snow storm a few weeks back). Still, it looks like a great backdrop for our micro-wedding.
We first became interested in this location because they offered micro-wedding packages (events for under 25 guests), and well, that's what we're interested in for this legal ceremony. It also makes it a bit easier to plan since the package comes with ceremony location, dinner, wine, cake, table setup and takedown. We just need to find a photographer, florist, a little music, and someone to administer the ceremony.
So while it's not yet set it stone, this venue is looking like it'll be the one.
