The First Five Years of Marriage, Happy Anniversary!

Anniversaries mark a special occasion, a moment that will always be remembered. Five years ago, Re and I became husband and wife. It took a long time, and a lot of pondering before I knew he was "the one." We dated for 5 years before tying the knot, and now that I look back at everything, each event in those five years led us to right where we were meant to be. Our journey had its ups and downs, we cried, we laughed, we fought, those first five years of dating were truly amazing and extremely challenging at the same time. Fresh from graduating college and returning from my internship in Washington DC, I had endless opportunities waiting for me. Re was in the opposite state and my scholastic success left him feeling like I'd leave him behind. He joined the Air Force while I was in DC, and within a few months of my return, I had to say goodbye as he headed to Basic Training in Texas. In the midst of trying to figure out what my next move would be, I missed him. I went from being unsure about our relationship, to absolutely missing him so much it hurt. I never knew how important he was in my life until he was gone. For three months, letter after letter, and maybe two very short phone calls, I missed him every day, and now I was the one who became fearful he was going to leave me behind. I began my first year of graduate school, started a new job, and enjoyed being closer to family, but all I could think about was him. Success, accomplishments, everyday moments weren't the same without him by my side. That was when I knew I wanted to marry him. It took five years before I knew he was the one.

Today, as we celebrated this momentous day, we reminisced on our past and reflected back on that beautiful day. Sitting across from my handsome hubby during our anniversary lunch at Chipotle (the perfect place for me, still simple). I asked him, what do you remember most about that day? He brought up the incident about my wedding dress. That morning I noticed a small wrinkle, and decided to iron it out. I burned my dress, lace shriveled in a matter of seconds and it was ruined. I freaked out for a moment and spent the morning in tears. We spent the next few hours rushing to different stores trying to find a replacement. I never wanted a big wedding, I didn't even want an expensive ring, I just wanted him. I wanted simplicity, I just wanted the love. I remember a weekend of the beach, fireworks, a weekend from military rules, just me and him.

Marriage has been different from dating, overall, effortlessly easy. He said to me today, "these first five years have been the best years of my life." I absolutely agree. Rarely do we have alone time for anything, so it was refreshing to have lunch alone and watch a movie. I appreciate moments like this, reminds me of the beginning. He still always opens doors for me, still holds my hand so tight, and his kisses are just as quenching. 

I am looking forward to years and years of happiness, love, support, and laughter. I'd like to think our first five years have been a true success.