somewhat odd anniversary
On April 15th, 2004, Rafe proposed to me in a sudden burst of romantic fervor after our first big fight that we actually resolved like mature adults, rather than pouting or ignoring each other. It took us three years before we actually walked down the aisle (we still had some more growing up to do). Five years after that day, though, our lives are very different from what we thought they would be then, sitting on our futon in a tiny studio apartment, hearing our neighbors tromp past our door on their way to our shared bathroom. So full of ideas, thinking that five years was a terribly long ways away.
Rafe and I are happily married, and own a house together. However, we are not living together, and do not have the children or dogs we thought we'd have by now. I'm only disappointed about not having the dog. We are not secure or completely fulfilled in our careers, and in fact Rafe has taken a very different career path than he thought he would back then. My "career" isn't exactly what I dreamed, but with journalism it never is. I still dream of something better, and I know I'm still young and unhindered enough to do it. We are still living in the Pacific Northwest, even though Rafe swore to me back in California that as soon as he finished his degree we'd re-assess where we wanted to live (it's still technically true, since he still hasn't finished his degree yet), maybe near my family in California or wherever Rafe could get into grad school. HA! On the plus side, we certainly eat better stuff than spaghetti and parsley every other night. Costco-size boxes of cereal no longer grace the top of our fridge.
We no longer have the futon, but I am currently and coincidentally wearing the same pajama top I was wearing when he proposed. It's odd to look back at what was and remember what you thought would be. I'm not disappointed, for the most part (I REALLY wanted a dog and better-paying job by now), but things have certainly ended up differently. It's just weird to think about, like looking at a picture of yourself in your junior high yearbook.
-B
Rafe and I are happily married, and own a house together. However, we are not living together, and do not have the children or dogs we thought we'd have by now. I'm only disappointed about not having the dog. We are not secure or completely fulfilled in our careers, and in fact Rafe has taken a very different career path than he thought he would back then. My "career" isn't exactly what I dreamed, but with journalism it never is. I still dream of something better, and I know I'm still young and unhindered enough to do it. We are still living in the Pacific Northwest, even though Rafe swore to me back in California that as soon as he finished his degree we'd re-assess where we wanted to live (it's still technically true, since he still hasn't finished his degree yet), maybe near my family in California or wherever Rafe could get into grad school. HA! On the plus side, we certainly eat better stuff than spaghetti and parsley every other night. Costco-size boxes of cereal no longer grace the top of our fridge.
We no longer have the futon, but I am currently and coincidentally wearing the same pajama top I was wearing when he proposed. It's odd to look back at what was and remember what you thought would be. I'm not disappointed, for the most part (I REALLY wanted a dog and better-paying job by now), but things have certainly ended up differently. It's just weird to think about, like looking at a picture of yourself in your junior high yearbook.
-B