It's been a pretty awesome journey, full of bumps and hurdles that have made our relationship stronger, not short on adventures that have tied us together with a lot of laughter and tears. I love to think that it's on this foundation that our relationship with Archie will be built. And I can't help but anticipate how the memories Bryan and I have already made as a couple will feed into the new ones we'll create with Archie as a family.
In anticipation of August's milestones (when our hands will probably be a bit too full to blog about these things), here are a few highlights from the past nine years:
Our first year...
Okay, well, not our first exactly, but our first married year. This one was special. Only four days after tying the knot, we moved to China so that I could intensify my studies of Mandarin while Bryan pursued an unusual opportunity to collaborate with a Beijing lab. We rented a small apartment within bicycling distance of the universities and, from that new home base, we consumed opportunities to study, travel, sample cuisine, explore art and culture, meet new people, and so on.
A year apart...
At a David Sedaris book reading years ago, the author cheekily penned "Good luck with your first marriage!" into one of the works we had brought for him to sign. We were aware that marriage at the tender age of 22 sounded like a risky venture to most people. And we knew that we would face some hurdles; it wasn't going to be a simple matter to balance our youthful ambitions with our commitment to each other. Yet committed we were. Even when Bryan and I had to live different cities (for a while different countries)--seeing each other only about once a month over the course of a year--we found in the experience an opportunity to add new depth to our relationship. There's something wonderful about knowing your relationship transcends space, in addition to time. And, odd as it may sound, I think it was another experience we were lucky to have.
Getting comfy with domesticity...
After those first few unconventional years, Bryan and I finally found ourselves both living together and in our native country some time prior to our fourth anniversary. It was an easy transition that allowed us to savor some of the simpler things: we've spent the past several years pursuing our interests in food and wine, hiking, gardening, reading, museum-hopping, and the like. Though we sometimes miss our more ambitious adventures, this domestic turn suits us, too. And we try to fit in what travels time and budget allow; hopefully, we'll be able to maintain (if not even improve upon) this balance once Archie enters our lives.
And then recently...
Our first year...
Okay, well, not our first exactly, but our first married year. This one was special. Only four days after tying the knot, we moved to China so that I could intensify my studies of Mandarin while Bryan pursued an unusual opportunity to collaborate with a Beijing lab. We rented a small apartment within bicycling distance of the universities and, from that new home base, we consumed opportunities to study, travel, sample cuisine, explore art and culture, meet new people, and so on.
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| Only four days after we married, we moved--halfway around the world. |
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| Bryan and I grab a smooch on a cable car up to the Great Wall at Simatai. |
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| We traveled at every opportunity while in China; here's a shot we captured while hiking in Outer Mongolia (a country particularly dear to my heart, by the way). |
A year apart...
At a David Sedaris book reading years ago, the author cheekily penned "Good luck with your first marriage!" into one of the works we had brought for him to sign. We were aware that marriage at the tender age of 22 sounded like a risky venture to most people. And we knew that we would face some hurdles; it wasn't going to be a simple matter to balance our youthful ambitions with our commitment to each other. Yet committed we were. Even when Bryan and I had to live different cities (for a while different countries)--seeing each other only about once a month over the course of a year--we found in the experience an opportunity to add new depth to our relationship. There's something wonderful about knowing your relationship transcends space, in addition to time. And, odd as it may sound, I think it was another experience we were lucky to have.
Getting comfy with domesticity...
After those first few unconventional years, Bryan and I finally found ourselves both living together and in our native country some time prior to our fourth anniversary. It was an easy transition that allowed us to savor some of the simpler things: we've spent the past several years pursuing our interests in food and wine, hiking, gardening, reading, museum-hopping, and the like. Though we sometimes miss our more ambitious adventures, this domestic turn suits us, too. And we try to fit in what travels time and budget allow; hopefully, we'll be able to maintain (if not even improve upon) this balance once Archie enters our lives.
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| Bryan and I share some wine at our favorite vineyard in Carneros. |
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| Last year we enjoyed a whirlwind trip through Western Europe; Scotland (Edinburgh pictured) was a hands- down favorite destination. |
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| We were fortunate enough to get to Brazil, our first South American destination, on a business trip a few years ago. Here we are savoring fresh fruit juice at a stand in Rio de Janeiro. |
Okay, so our stint at Cornell last year was not a huge success in the traditional sense, but it taught us a lot about what we want out of the next chapter of our lives. Consequently, it was hugely formative in getting us to where we are today. And I suppose we wouldn't be amiss to say we're now embarking on our biggest adventure yet!
We've so much to be thankful for, not least the luxury of time we've had together up until this point. And, though we couldn't be looking forward more eagerly to our new arrival this summer, we really are grateful to have had such a lengthy exposition to Archimedes's debut. Come August, we'll sure have a lot to celebrate, of both the future and the past.
We've so much to be thankful for, not least the luxury of time we've had together up until this point. And, though we couldn't be looking forward more eagerly to our new arrival this summer, we really are grateful to have had such a lengthy exposition to Archimedes's debut. Come August, we'll sure have a lot to celebrate, of both the future and the past.
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