Monday, October 17, 2011

Deux.

Photo credit: Martin Dallaire
Today is our second wedding anniversary.

And we are approximately 4589 miles apart (as the crow flies) with an ocean between us. S is scheduled to return tomorrow (unless, you know, transportation strikes in Greece prevent that), so we are going to celebrate after he is back home and after we decide what we want to do exactly. The only thing nailed down so far is the exchange of anniversary letters/notes, which is a tradition we started last year.

It's hard to believe it's been two years already. Sometimes the wedding just doesn't seem very long ago. I mean, we only recently got some wedding photos printed, put in frames, and hung because I finally became convinced that it needed to be done before our second anniversary rolled around. And I must say that I love wandering by and stopping to look at the photos. Unfortunately, the same determination did not carry over to the (still non-existent) wedding album. Maybe I can manage to do that before our third anniversary? Oh, and we still want to take a (belated) honeymoon sometime. (Though I wonder if we can still even call it that, this far into the game?) Now that I can come and go from Canada without the risk of being turned away at the border, we can start thinking towards this more concretely...

Twenty-five-and-a-half months ago, I was in Chicago, on the verge of moving to Québec and marrying S. It was an intense time of change. Since my move, we got engaged, got married, had a 10 month-long back-and-forth-between-two-cities living arrangement, did our first international travel together (Italy), made two more (in-country) moves resulting in us finally living in only one apartment together, established our combined home together, tried to potty-train our cat, prepared and submitted my immigration application, waited through seven months of unknowing which made for a challenging winter, and then received news of my approval for permanent residency while on our second international trip together in Paris this past May. That was monumental in that it removed the undercurrent of fear that I had felt when I would think about the possibility that we could be separated from each other. It also felt like I finally could begin putting down roots here outside of the walls of our apartment, and start integrating more with the community. I looked for work and then got two jobs, which I started this fall. When I think through the last 24-ish months that way, I realize that these first two years of our marriage have been chock full of change.


But despite that, it's felt somehow stable because we did it together. The best thing has been just living and doing normal day-to-day stuff with my love who is also my best friend. Sometimes I still just can't believe how fortunate I am to have found the person I want to share my life withand we even get to live in the same place! (Maybe this never gets old for people that go through years of long-distance?) There are times when I can't get over how fun it is just to hang out together doing normal things, and it feels like being at summer camp.

Two years feels more substantial somehow. Kinda like being in my thirties feels different than my twenties, in a really good way.

7 comments:

  1. Congratulations and happy two-year anniversary! What a crazy two years you have had indeed.

    I like your note-exchanging idea. Our (first) anniversary just passed, and we're going to celebrate it when M is back in town too.

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  2. @Kim L.- You guys were separated on your anniversary too?? I have been wondering how often that often to people, because it is bound to happen when people have to travel for work. We will do our letter exchange sometime soon... I guess I will probably write mine today. :)

    I wish you a wonderful first anniversary (and belated celebration)! I can't believe it's been a year. How exciting! :)

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  3. Happy Anniversary!! We also haven't yet created a wedding album, or taken a honeymoon, so I'm glad I'm not the only one there! My goal is to have the honeymoon sometime before we have kids, haha. And yeah, I feel like long distance relationships tend to have a lot of change and a lot of milestones in short periods of time, because that's just how they end up working. Like, 2010 for us involved me getting my work permit, us getting engaged, me starting a new job, getting a cat, moving into a new apartment, being unemployed all summer while planning a wedding, renewing my work permit and going back to work in September, and getting married. Crazy year! I hope you guys are able to have a great celebration when your husband gets back!

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  4. Happy Anniversary to you both! It's always hard being apart on special days, but I am sure it will be all the more sweeter to celebrate when he's home. I love you letter exchange tradition, that's such a beautiful idea.
    And yes, doesn't it fly by! And go so slowly at the same time...

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  5. Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary!

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  6. Hey! It's One More Sara from APW. I agree, after a long LDR living together and LEGALLY will always feel pretty special. I'm so looking forward to our wedding (still so far away..) bc I can't wait for all my people to meet most of his people. Congrats on your anniversary :)

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  7. Hi One More Sara,

    When is your wedding? I am sure it will be wonderful to finally bring your communities together! :)

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