10 Years

Today marks 10 years together.

A decade ago, we decided to ignore the very valid reasons we shouldn’t start a relationship – he had just gotten out of one and wanted some time on his own; I was applying to a nine-month teaching program in France. We had already been friends for three years, and we had spent the previous three months trying not to be together. It wasn’t working. We liked each other. We laughed a lot together. We clicked. It was terribly inconvenient.

Road trip, 2005

On November 14, 2004, my roommates and I decided to host an international-themed party. I suspect it was because we wanted to mix up a vat of our infamous sangria (plus, I’ll use any excuse to make egg rolls). Brian arrived late and whipped up an excellent Spanish tortilla in our tiny dorm apartment kitchen just when we were all starting to get hungry again. And just like that, we were becoming a couple.

Some of my most favorite people in the world were there that night – a fact I only appreciate now that we live too far away from them. It’s fitting that this was the time we decided to give this relationship thing a go, however impractical it was.

It has been a highly impractical 10 years. Deployments. Separations. Leaving old friends and making new. Ups and downs and so, so many moves. But it has been a wonderful 10 years, and I am grateful.

Barcelona, 2014

He still makes me laugh every day. I am still at my happiest when we are cooking together and drinking wine with our people. The first 10 years of this international-themed party have been pretty incredible, so let’s crank up the music, pour some more sangria and keep it going. I love you, Bri.