Last year was one of commitment.
This year started quietly but gradually ramped up into a bit of a whirlwind: we got married… and bought our first house!
Home buying is nuts. It’s a whole ‘nother level of commitment that was bursting with stress and anxiety, but we did it! Now, weekends previously spent attending open houses have switched to yard work and house maintenance.
In the book of life, it feels like we quickly jumped ahead a few chapters this year. Such big milestones and at the end of it, I’m sitting here with my feet up on the couch, in my own house, feeling more grounded than ever.
I feel like I’m setting down my roots again, coming full circle to where my original roots came to be in the Bay Area… before I uprooted them a few times wandering off to Wisconsin and New York. This time, I am firmly planting myself back down and am excited to let those roots dig in more deeply.
Throughout the year, I’ve reflected a lot as we’ve reached these milestones and can’t help but feel grateful for the experiences and support that brought me here and hopeful for what’s to come. It really has been quite the journey to get to this point. Looking forward to turning this house into our home, growing fruit trees in the backyard, and filling it with happy new memories.
Went on our 17-day honeymoon in September!
Some thoughts on all the places we traveled through:
Berlin (Germany)
- We coincidentally visited when the Berlin Marathon took place. Love me a big marathon atmosphere. It was so festive and inspired me to train to run another marathon in the future.
- Berlin as a city was pretty spread out, but enjoyed a nice walking tour
- It was interesting to see the Topography of Terror (museum and main site of the Nazi SS) and the art along the former Berlin Wall
- Doner kebaps were fantastic; currywurst was very meh
Split (Croatia)
- A nice coastal town where the living’s easy
- Staying in Diocletian’s Palace was a cool experience. Some areas reminded me of the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Vegas: restaurants and shops amidst a cloudy blue sky backdrop
- Loved the cevapi sandwich- grilled meat sausages with a zesty red pepper relish stuffed into a warm pillowy bread
- The wharf area felt kind of like Fisherman’s Wharf, very touristy during the day when all the tour buses were in town
- Can’t beat a daily dessert of gelato
Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia)
- So many beautiful waterfalls and turquoise lakes all around
- It was quite serene to hike it on a rainy day
- Reminded me of Banff National Park in Canada
Hvar (Croatia)
- Even smaller coastal town, good vibes
- Relaxed at a beach club with a simple picnic: baguette, prosciutto, cheese, and grapes
- Lots of Italian food and seafood
- Blue Cave & Vis Island speedboat tour was a fun way to spend the day on the water. Got the chance to hold an octopus and sea urchin!
Dubrovnik (Croatia)
- Really cool to do a Game of Thrones tour and see many of the iconic sites where they filmed
- So crowded with tours during the daytime, but beautiful and calm in the morning and night
- Had a great time swimming off the coast in the Adriatic Sea
- We stayed at an apartment overlooking the City Walls which was gorgeous
Munich (Germany)
- Oktoberfest was a jolly good time! Super fun and friendly atmosphere where we got to drunkenly cheers to drinking songs with people from all over the world. Prost!
- Food in Munich was very Bavarian- think bratwurst, pretzels, schnitzel
Paris (France)
- The food was rich and delicious. Had some good pho to satisfy Asian food cravings. Favorite meal was at Terra bar à vins
- So many smokers everywhere
- Wine as cheap as water
A few months ago, I married the love of my life.
The wedding ceremony and reception was a bit of a whirlwind and the whole night went by so fast. But not fast enough to miss so many joyous moments that will stay with me forever:
Walking down the aisle…
Seeing her walk down the aisle…
Saying I do and our first kiss…
Coming into the reception with everyone waving their napkins…
Every table singing us love songs…
Our first dance under the string lights in the courtyard…
Closing the dance floor with Love Story and our own private dance…
Pool jump at the after party…
It was such an amazing day and I wouldn’t change a thing. There were a lot of times during the planning and lead up to the wedding where I kind of just sat back and reflected on finally getting to this point after many years of searching.
I feel so lucky that we found each other and now get to live our happily ever after.
I’m grateful that we were able to celebrate the occasion with our family and close friends in such a beautiful setting. Next up, our upcoming honeymoon and the newlywed life!
I expected to take a big step in life and love this year, and boy did that happen.
*rewind back nine months*
I woke up that morning feeling anxious but excited. I had been tracking the weather all week and today was about 50-50 for rain. With all the plans in place, it was go-time, rain or shine.
As we started our drive, Bruno Mars’ song “Marry Me” randomly played on the radio. How fitting.
During the drive up to Bodega Bay, it alternated between light drizzles, splotchy sun, and downpour. I held my breath that we would get lucky once we reached our destination.
As we pulled into the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of my friend in all black near the spot I had picked out. He had generously offered to photograph and did a good job trying to camouflage. The skies cleared up just enough and it was lightly sprinkling as we walked up a slight hill. Good thing the weather cooperated because I didn’t really have a backup plan.
Reached into my jacket pocket to double check that I had the ring. I had rehearsed this moment in my head many times and now it was time do the thing. This was it!
The next few minutes were a bit of blur as we looked out over the bay.
Then I got down on one knee and popped the big question. She has a tendency to black out during these big moments so I had to repeat it again (haha) and… she said yes!
*fast forward back to today*
It has been quite the year. Was able to continue taking trips once a month on average (some closer, some further: San Diego twice, Honolulu, Healdsburg, Austin, Plano, Denver, Carmel, NYC twice, Seattle/Washington national parks, Japan twice).
So happy and looking forward to our wedding next Spring where we’ll get to celebrate with all of our closest friends and family! Have been fortunate enough to celebrate so many friends’ weddings in the past few years and can’t believe it’s going to be our turn next.