We drove 2,841 miles. We drove for 7 days. We filled a moving truck to the brim, said goodbye to people we love and friends we adore, packed up 3 turtles and 2 tortoises, and started a new beginning.

We saw a LOT of incredible things along the way. At the top of the Gateway arch in St. Louis, we couldn’t believe our luck. Everything we’ve been dreaming of for 3 years was actually happening. We had an absolute blast and made memories together that we’ll never forget.

Ant has been here for over 2 months. It took time to get settled, to mesh our two seperate lives into one. We’re still adjusting. But we’re having fun. We’re living and there is nothing in the world I would trade that for. I know it’s been quite some time since I’ve even used this blog but when you’re busing living life, some things have to fall to the wayside. This happened to be one of them. Who knows the next time I’ll blog again but the writing itch has been creeping on me so you might be seeing more of me here.

Either way, we’re living the hell out of life and I couldn’t be happier. Have you found your joy yet?

Another year has come and gone. It’s been hard because we cut back on trips in order to save money for the big move. And it just never seemed within reach. We set a date and pushed it back for this reason or that reason. He came for his 30th birthday and we celebrated Disney style. I insisted, savings be damned, that he come here for my 30th. That turned out to be the best present I could have asked for.

Seeing as we were two people who have never made big moves, especially across the country, we were both really bad at planning it efficiently. Then my parents practically gift wrapped it for us. Because my mom’s conference schedule put her in D.C. this summer, they offered us the greatest gift; meet in NY and drive the moving truck to CA. When they offered, me and Ant just kind of looked at each other and thought, “hey that would actually work!”

So in 17 days, me and my son will jump on an airplane to NY where we will finish packing a moving truck and then start the drive back home. Home, for all of us. Not only is the prospect amazing and exciting, we’re planning an epic road trip home that of course, includes a Mets game, the Hall of Fame, and stopping to watch the All Star Game. It wouldn’t be US if it didn’t include baseball.

So thankful and happy this is our last anniversary apart. This long distance thing SUCKS but I’m pretty sure it means if we were able to tolerate the distance and come out ahead like we have, well, together, we can do anything.

Happy Anniversary honey! You and me baby… <# See you in 17 days!

*blink*

That’s all I did and here we are again.

I never thought a year could go by so fast but it did and it’s been amazing. The distance hasn’t gotten easier, it’s gotten worse. The need to be with each other increases with every day that passes but we’re getting closer and closer to that goal.

In 12 days I’ll be in his arms, celebrating his birthday and while it’s only another visit, we’ll make the very best of the time we’re given together. Nlow if only I could find that fast forward button to make the next 12 days fly by and then hit pause because the minute he gets here, time really will start to speed up.

Honey, can you believe it’s been two years and we haven’t driven each other crazy by now? Well, not certifiable anyways. I know we do make each other nuts some days but it’s all in love. Every day we grow and I’m so lucky that it’s you who is with me on this journey.

See you soon! <#

Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day but that’s nothing special to me. It’s not different than any other day of the week because I have someone in my life who treats me like every day is a special day.

Today is not about flowers, or candy, or gifts. In fact, its not much about anything because every day should be an occasion for telling the people that you love that you love and adore them.

I’m lucky because he tells me. I’m lucky because he loves me.

And I love him every day, with all of me.

Happy Monday honey! <#

It was number 28 of this post that said something amazing would be coming together soon.

Well it did.

And it was awesome.

The kids didn’t fight. The adults had a blast together. The weekend was a success.

Now that we’re all back home, we sit, and we wait as we’ve become accustomed to. Patiently waiting for our futures to start, for moving vans, for helping each other unpack and get settled into our lives, for 5 bedroom houses.

One day pictures like that won’t be an event, but instead an ordinary Saturday.

It’s going to happen. She deserves it. So do our amazing men. So do our awesome kids.

So do I.

I want somebody to sleep with the rest of my life and cuddle up during a movie on a couch. Stay up all night talking about nothing. Get lost in the woods together. Challenge me, challenge him. Talk about dreams, make dreams. Have fights, the kind that only really matter just as long as you’re having them.Someone I can wrestle with, you know, play hard sometimes and not worry about breaking a nail or an arm. A guy who will bring me flowers, once in a while, maybe a rock too or a shell of some sort. Something he saw that made him think of me, made him think “this might make my girl smile” as he smiles to himself. A guy who wants me, maybe even needs me, just a little, enough to hold onto me with everything he’s got.

Believe it or not, I’ve got that guy. I’ve even got the rock he sent me, the one he found on the beach that sparkles in the light, that reminds me of his smile. It sits on my bedside table.

He just had a birthday. While I didn’t get to blog on that day and wish him a happy here*, I was doing my best to celebrate with him from far away. No one ever tells you this, but long distance relationships are hard. They are even harder on holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays. Those are the days when each mile hurts more than the last.

Regardless, pretty soon we won’t have to be spending those days, or any days apart. We’ll do his birthday up right with pirates, a trip to Red Lobster or anywhere he’s craving, and all the birthday kisses he has every right to ask for.

Because it’s his birthday, and he’ll eat lobster if he wants to.

He’ll probably roll his eyes at me picking these two pictures but they are my favorites of him from his trip here in April. Probably because his face gives away exactly what he’s thinking at the moment I took the pictures.

Happy Birthday sweetie… Here’s to the rest of them, together!

*I’m only late on this due to computer issues. And lack of memory of how to log in to my blog without being on my own computer. Plus I’ve been wallowing in self pity because I miss my laptop so badly. My laptop knows me. Hopefully it comes home soon in working order.

Had you asked me a year ago if I would have been able to see myself where I am today, I would have probably said no.

This is our day, this is what we have chosen. We’ve made each other better people, we’ve grown so much. Is it perfect? Is anything? It’s our idea of perfection, flaws and all.

Respect, gratitude, honesty, and love make 2,830 miles seem like nothing.

He makes every one of my days better.

The two of us together, we can do anything…

<#

Exactly a month ago, I was dropping him off at LAX. I think that was worse for me than the day he took me to La Guardia to catch my flight home, back in October. I cried from the minute I walked out of that terminal until Nic calmed me down a bit on the drive home. It was halfway home that I realized it was our 10 month anniversary.

When we talked about it later, he reminded me that we had celebrated the entire week leading up to that day because we got to spend all that time together.

This long distance stuff is hard. It creates this achy feeling in the middle of your chest that you just can’t soothe away. What makes it worse, what makes the ache deeper, is spending amazing weeks together where you can’t help but sit back in awe as you watch your son, your parents, and your best friends enjoy him being here too. It’s absolutely amazing to watch.

Having him here with me made me realize something. I want to see this world with him next to me.

There isn’t much more to it than that.

Happy 11 months sweetie. <#

I think it’s safe to say that this blog, it suffers. It clearly is lacking in oh, I don’t know, CONTENT. Not to say I haven’t thought about writing, I have. It’s just at times, I don’t consider myself a writer. I struggle with taking a simple situation and turning it into a post. I need to flex those muscles more, clearly.

Things in my life right now, they feel good. I laugh a lot. I’m able to brush away those annoying gnat like feelings that areas of the internet give me, most of the time. The urge to point fingers and call names lowers when you don’t want to bring people down with you. When you have happy, you want to see happy and celebrate it, evoke it.

I’ve got a whole week of the happy starting today, with his arrival. My son doesn’t know and we can’t wait to surprise him. We have a week full of the luxury of being together, the hand holding, the kisses, the love. It’s something so cherished when you’re in a relationship like ours and when it’s in my life full time, I won’t ever take advantage of that. Knowing how it feels to miss out on waking up next to the person you love, well it teaches you something.

Whatever nerves mingling with the excitement that is running through my veins right now will soon be gone. I’ll be ready to expose those little things that aren’t talked about in normal conversation, like how I hang my bras from my dresser knob, or that I really don’t like to dust and you can see it. I won’t even get started on my driving.

Either way, I know that I can say with confidence, that he will accept all these things and most likely not even think anything of them. That simple fact means the world to me and fills me full of hope and understanding that this is my path. I’m not alone walking it and that feels pretty damn good.

Just like Ronald Regan told Nancy on their 20th wedding anniversary… “I’ve gotten very used to being happy…”

… and I love him very much indeed.

… somewhere only we know.