Girl Meets Boy, Or Is It Boy Meets Girl?
Life still happens even when we’re traveling continuously and long-term abroad. Sometimes tedious or challenging situations that need our attention arise, but in this case it’s a joyous event as we celebrate our wedding anniversary in Ireland!
We might be biased but we think it’s a unique, fun wedding story (and short we promise!). But it’s not as important of an anniversary date to us as you might imagine it would be …
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Black Friday is our wedding anniversary. Now before you make a big deal about it, we must mention that we really don’t put much stock in celebrating this date. It’s not because we don’t value our marriage, but because we value our relationship as a whole more.
“Our decision to commit to each other and to spend the rest of our lives together was a very deliberate decision that was made well before we legally ‘tied the knot’.”
After six years of dating, we knew the ups and the downs of being together. We surely weren’t in a daze of love and/or lust thinking that everything would be just dandy.
Getting Honest About Our Relationship
We met on Match.com (back when it was rare for people to use online dating sites!) and vetted each other for months in email and phone conversations before even meeting.
One of the things we attribute to our success together is that we did something most people don’t. After just a few months of dating, we took a few weeks to reflect on our relationship and the other person. We made a list of the top ten fears and/or negative things we worried about in the other person. We then sat down together and discussed each and every item on our lists.
This is just one way we went out of our way, making ourselves uncomfortable, to be sure we were ready for ‘us’.
Traveling continuously and long-term as digital nomads has an impact. See how we travel adapt and learn: Traveling as a Couple: Survival, Growth and the Pursuit of Harmony
We Celebrate our Entire Relationship
To celebrate our wedding anniversary as our anniversary of commitment would be negating the 6 years of hard work, joyous experiences, challenges, laughter, fights, romance, tears, and silly love that we’d experienced together. Once we stood in front of the magistrate, we’d already committed to each other everything and more than we did that day in our vows.
“In actuality, getting married was a formality really.”
Our Wedding Story
It May Be a Formality, but It’s a Romantic One!
In the latter half of 2013, Shannon was working long hard hours at the office. Work weeks of 80-90 hours, spread between contracting and a full-time position. She rarely had an afternoon, let alone a full day off. Thanksgiving and Black Friday of 2013 were going to be her first days off in months.
In Shannon’s Words:
It was my first time off work in so long. I just wanted to spend time with Sergio and relax.
He told me to be ready for a walk at 10 am on Black Friday. I knew he was up to something, but it wasn’t that much out of the usual for him. I figured he had something small up his sleeve, maybe a walk to a special view point or to a shop in downtown to show me something.
We were bundled up in our winter walking clothes, jackets and sweats, since it was just above freezing outside. But, it was a beautiful clear day, one thing we enjoyed about Boise, Idaho.
The Proposal
Sergio took me to the front of the courthouse and stopped. He held my hands and looked directly at me. I could see small tears welling up in his eyes.
“He told me that he loved me and that it was only fitting to ask me to marry him on Black Friday since I was the best deal he’d ever gotten. ”
I was shocked. I had nothing to say but yes!
Our Wedding
We walked into the courthouse and followed the signs. It was simple enough: a bit of paperwork, show our picture identifications, pay a small fee, and stand in front of the judge.
I was so overwhelmed as the judge married us, that I had trouble repeating the vows. Frankly, I don’t even remember what they were. It was only forty-five minutes after his proposal that we walked out of the courthouse married!
It was a great day. And now I won't throw away the sweat pants or sweatshirts we wore that day. So they’re tucked away in a box with the other few important items we kept when we got rid of 95% of our belongings. Someday, I'll make a blanket out of them! (Sergio here! I’m waiting… patiently waiting)
In Sergio’s Words:
Yes, I proposed to Shannon, in front of the court house, on Black Friday. But there’s more to the story than that.
What she didn’t tell you is that we'd already been engaged for two years. Allow me to tell you the WHOLE story…
Two Years Earlier…
We were sitting together one evening and she looked over at me and blurted it out, “Will you marry me?”. She wanted to take it back as soon as she asked, but that’s not something you can forget! It was already out. She even asked if I would propose to her instead, but what is done, is done.
I, of course said yes.
Fast Forward Two Years
Shannon’s life and work balance were crazy. I had, as a surprise, been trying to marry her for about a month but couldn’t because of her seven-day work schedule!
Finally, three days before Thanksgiving 2013 she was told that she'd be off for two days. I leapt into action (think a ninja, not a cat) and started calling the courthouse and piecing together the details to make sure we could do it on Black Friday.
In the end, it all worked out. The courthouse was open, it had an ATM inside the lobby, and the first judge we called, on the list of about 30, was in chambers, available, and willing to marry us.
Woohoo! And now, here we are, three years later, happily married!
And now back to our ‘regularly schedule program’.
Our Wedding Anniversary
It’s our third wedding anniversary and as you know we don’t celebrate this date. However, we do recognize it.
This year, Shannon asked, “Are we doing anything special for our anniversary?” Sergio looked shocked and responded:
““We’re in Ireland, what more do you want?!””
So, that’s the punch line. Not much after all of the backstory. But today is our anniversary, we’re in Ireland (on our way to the UK), and living our happily ever after!
