Kristy Kelly: A day that ends in Y

We were supposed to be married on Friday the 13th on the rooftop of The O'Neil, but due to rain, we were married in front of an antique bank vault that fit our vibe just the same. Our first camping trip ended in a flash flood where we almost died. Our second cruise was rerouted due to civil unrest in Haiti. Our third cruise was held off port due to mutant fog, and then Tampa had a power outage at the port.

This past Saturday was our first anniversary, and we kept our streak of unplanned chaos going strong.

When Derrick asked what I wanted for our first anniversary, which he reminded me was the paper anniversary, I simply said not to plan it and not to pay for it. My ability to be cheap is legendary, but that wasn't why I wanted him to handle the actual anniversary. I'd previously sunk all my pennies into creating a fragrance lab for him to develop his own brand of fragrances.

I'd forgotten about the whole paper aspect of it, so I'll probably go back and order some tester strips for his fragrances to meet some archaic requirement created by old dead people.

Whatever plans Derrick made for our anniversary, he kept tight-lipped. He asked me what I would like, and I said I'd love to stay in a hotel with a jacuzzi and a pool.

The day of our anniversary arrived, and we got in the car and headed toward Raleigh.

We arrived around lunchtime and stopped at Zayka Indian Cuisine for the absolute best Indian food I've ever had in my life. While I acknowledge that's not saying much, as I've probably had Indian food ten times total, I will be dreaming about their curried goat for the rest of my life.

I cannot recommend this place enough.

We got to the hotel, which had a fabulous jacuzzi and swimming pool that I enjoyed approximately thirty seconds after checking in. Going back and forth from the jacuzzi to the swimming pool like children, we had the entire place to ourselves.

Then, like every adult should, we rested before dinner, which meant he napped and I watched a K-drama.

The drive from the hotel to the restaurant only took about twenty minutes.

This was the last chaos-free moment of our entire anniversary trip.

Derrick stopped as he pulled into a paid, open parking lot. He stopped and let me out in the shade so I didn't have to walk all the way back. What should have taken five minutes took thirty because the parking lot was full, and he had to park about six blocks away.

He called me to let me know he'd already called the restaurant and they were understanding of the parking situation.

We went in, and they took us upstairs.

Derrick had attempted to surprise me with an omakase dining experience at Dashi. He had a reservation, an email confirmation, and had called twenty minutes prior to talk about parking, but when we'd sat down, a manager came over and told us there was no reservation.

There was no chef.

We could order off the menu.

No apology. No request to see the confirmation email. Nothing.

It's just our problem, not theirs.

Now, of the two of us, Derrick has way more patience than I do. I'm twice as likely to get us killed in a crowd because I'll write checks he has to cash.

So I looked at my very angry, but holding-it-together husband and asked if we could just leave.

So we did.

It was a quiet ride, but eventually I coaxed a smile or two out of him as we decided on another restaurant.

Next, we chose a Haitian place called KATYÉ.

We did not call ahead, and once there, discovered they were closed for a private party.

At this point, neither of us were particularly surprised.

This is just a day that ends in Y in the life of Kristy and Derrick.

Then we went to Cheesecake Factory.

I'd never been, and previously when I told him I wanted to go there, he'd told me I wouldn't like it. But who loves being told what they won't like?

So off we went to an extremely popular restaurant on a Saturday night.

If you've followed these columns, you know I have OCD and severe social anxiety.

We walked in, and I knew I couldn't eat there.

However, it was our anniversary. Derrick was already disappointed, and I could suck it up for an hour.

I was hungry.

Except I couldn't.

After I started breaking out in hives, Derrick went to a restaurant two doors down to see if they had availability. They were too close to closing, so he came back and simply asked if I wanted to leave.

So we did.

Then we went to our tried-and-true Olive Garden.

Unfortunately, it was 10:30 p.m. and I was no longer really hungry, but we had a great time and our waitress was delightful. I ordered my beloved Steak Gorgonzola and peach tea because, at a certain point in life, comfort food beats culinary ambition.

By the time we went back to the hotel, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

The next morning, I enjoyed a lazy morning in the jacuzzi and the pool.

Complimentary hotel breakfasts usually have the value of what you pay for them, but I enjoyed waffles and apple juice.

The coffee, however, was atrocious.

After Derrick woke up, I asked him if we could go get some coffee.

After three attempts at coffee, I said, "Never mind, let's go to HMart."

To say one of the best parts of my anniversary weekend was an Asian grocery store is weird, but still truthful.

I had the best time browsing items with labels I couldn't read and seeing all of the food I wish I knew how to make.

There's something magical about wandering an Asian grocery store and realizing just how much of the world still remains to be explored.

After HMart, we went to hot pot.

If you know me, you know I have a deep appreciation for Asian cultures, specifically Chinese and Korean. Beyond the television and the food, I love their connection to the land and one another. When a civilization can date their history back to literal caves, it's amazing how much history can be shared. As Americans, celebrating our nation's 250th anniversary next year, we often lack that same level of historic engagement.

We went to Szechuan Mansion Hot Pot where a waitress named Leah curated an experience that made me feel like I was at an auntie's house in Korea.

The food was fabulous, but the experience was unmatched, and I go to hot pot regularly.

From the fragrant jasmine tea to the freshness of the ingredients we used, everything was simply superior.

It quickly became my new favorite spot for hot pot.

After that, we got in the car and went home where we laughed the entire way at the randomness of our adventures.

We now have one year under our belt and the ability to pivot when our carefully curated dining experiences go sideways.

There's no one on this planet I'd rather have at my side than him.

Here's to the next year of chaos on days that end in Y.