adventures of HCP | madison, wi | day 1

Today started very early- 3:30am- to be exact. It's days like these that I'm thankful for the adrenaline that causes you to be more awake than you really are. :) We made it to the airport and caught our flight just in time- 6am. For those of you who know me- this is quite a stretch for me- I usually have a difficult time waking up early! :) So- we got on the plane and got to witness this breath-taking sight over Springfield- wow- is all I can say. Immediately, the lyrics to Phil Wickham's song, Beautiful, started singing in my heart.

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say

You're beautiful.

On the flight from Chicago to Madison- there were about 20 people on an 80 passenger plane. The flight attendant said we could all spread out and sit wherever we want... the exit row is always the perfect fit for long legs. ;) So, as we were getting ready for take-off, the pilot informed us that the flight would be 24 minutes long. Seriously?! lol. I didn't know that was possible. As we stepped off the plane in Madison, we were hit in the face by the intense smell of cow manure. (my sis says that the story reminds her of the Hannah Montana movie... if you know what I mean.) lol. We were picked up by the hotel shuttle and given some history about the city. It's really a beautiful place, and I love that it's surrounded by water! We drove by a beach area where there were hundreds of people with their canoes getting ready to race. I so wanted to hop in one! :) After we got to the hotel- which is right across from the beautiful capital building- we went to the farmer's market and maxwell street days that were happening around the capital square. It was a lot of fun! Picked up some cheese and a red velvet "whoopie pie"! We then went to a Mexican street cafe for brunch.... then met up with the bride to go over last minute details and to see one of the photo locations. We then grabbed some starbucks and headed back to the room where I crashed and took a 2-3 hour nap! I never do that! :) That's what starting the day at 3:30am will do to you! :) The rehearsal dinner was on the top floor of our hotel at 7pm- beautiful view and great food! Now- I will try to sleep through the very loud music of the wedding reception that's happening down the hall. :) I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow! But, I'm really loving all of this... I love to travel and have weekend getaways. I will let you know how the day goes tomorrow! Hoping for a little cloud cover to help with the direct sun and heat. Bye for now! :)