WHOA – I was just sitting back this weekend reflecting on the fact that Nick and I just crossed the one year mark for our Civil Ceremony that took place back on January 2nd, 2009 in a Maryland Courthouse. It blows my mind to think of all the things that took place over the course of the last year. Here are a few of the biggies:
- Got married (twice)
- Moved to DC for training
- Job Changes or Reinventions for both of us
- Moved to Manila
- Created our wills
- Hired household staff
- Took our Honeymoon
- Survived our first Christmas overseas
It was quite the year. They say that you’re only supposed to do one big change per year to maintain good mental health – oops, I guess 3 was pushing it a bit!
Someone asked me the other day how I was adjusting to Marriage. What’s funny is that it’s hard to make a distinction between that and all the other changes that came at the same time. When I got married, I wasn’t getting just Nick, I was signing up for a whole new life in the foreign service. And since that was so much more all-encompassing, adjusting to marriage seemed like a drop in the bucket in comparison to living overseas, being a part of an Embassy, embracing expat living, etc. Marriage is one thing I knew I could do well! The others I wasn’t so sure about…
I had heard from more veteran expats that the overseas experience can make or break marriages. There’s no middle ground. Either your relationship is taken to new heights because of your shared response to the challenges or it collapses under the weight of the strain. I feel blessed to count ourselves among the former. After a year of intense change, we are closer than ever and confident that we can deal with whatever new challenges are placed before us. I enjoy being in partnership and knowing that we face all the emotional highs and lows together. I can’t even begin to explain how dependent you become on this other person when you’re thousands of miles from all your “other people”. And so to Nick I say,
“We kicked butt this year! So honored to be your partner through it all. Bring on the next round!”
Congrats on your anniversary! Just recently found your blog, but will be checking in again soon. May you have many, many happy globe-trotting years together!
Awesome, thanks for checking us out. I’ve got a link to your site in my blogroll, so hopefully it’s helping others find you… where are you currently posted? This is our first tour, so everything is still very new to us. It’s a good life though, so I can’t complain! Cheers – I look forward to getting to know you better.
Sarah
How would you like to add “made another friend” to that list? I’m arriving in Manila on February 14th (in the middle of the night…but hey!! I’m nearly there!) At some point we’ll have to get together and talk Minnesota when I’ve settled in. I’ll be living over at Seafront! I want to know where you had your furniture covers made!!
AWESOME – you’re finally coming! Can I take you around the week of the 15th and show you Manila? My driver can come pick you up… maybe Monday or Tuesday? When do you start work? WAHOO!
That would be awesome!! I would love that! I start work on the 16th…as far as I know. I promise to be in touch when I know more. It would be so great to meet you!
Congratulations! Love your blog!!
Thanks Allison! Love my readers! :)
Sarah,
This is our 6th tour and we are actually posted in San Francisco. My husband is with DS, so there are many domestic slots to be filled. We will be moving to either VA or MD this summer for one year, as he is going on an UT in July. Hopefully the following summer we will move somewhere a little more exotic!
Thank you for the link!
~Jen
Very cool – I hope we cross paths at some point! I don’t know much about DS but the variety of US posts sounds appealing! Cheers, Sarah