Three years of bliss

Today, 3 years ago, I had the privilege of marrying my soulmate. I call it a privilege because it is something we shouldn't take for granted. First of all, you need to find a person to love. Both of you need to be at the right place at the right time, both physically and emotionally. Both of you also need to share the desire to discover if this is the real deal or not. Even if everything goes smoothly and according to plan, you might never reach a point beyond it feeling fine and nice. But it is when it feels spectacular and amazing you know you've truly got it right. And if you both wish to, you might eventually decide to get married.

At the dinner following our wedding, I read a little something I had written. I'm happy to say it was true back then and it still rings true today (with the exception of an electronic device upgrade):

Call it coincident, accident or call it fate

This story has its beginning on www.Spray-date

I was looking for someone to love and admire

Little did I know I’d find someone to be with when I retire

Martin found a girl called Jennifer Lee

And I fell in love with a computer Phd

A man who is tall, blond and slightly pale

A man who loves music, tv and a good garage sale

We all know he loves candy, whiskey and that he is a joker

He is full of surprises, he’s never mediocre

As a couple, we love to travel from nation to nation

But we are just as happy in front of our Playstation

Or battling over the high score on our Nintendo Wii

As long as we’re together, laughs are a guarantee

Sometimes we engage in some friendly competition

Sometimes we discuss, I can’t help but being a politician. 

I don’t necessary share his love for stupid puns

To cheer him up, I give him cinnamon buns. 

We have spend many, too many, days being apart

And with every good bye came an aching pain in my heart

Like when I moved to Trelleborg to work with flooring

I missed you everyday, I even missed your snoring

To spend time together means so incredibly much

Like sleeping in same bed, just you, me and your Ipod-touch.

So, I proposed to you in front of an episode of House

I was delighted you agreed to be my spouse

Today we married and I’m now your wife

I look forward to be with you for the rest of my life. 

I want to be by your side when we’re wrinkled and grey

My dear husband Martin, jag kommer alltid att älska dig (translation: I will always love you)

The Beauties and The Beast

Last week I came back from an epic road-trip with my dear BFF, Theres. We met up in New York (JFK Airport) and picked up a rental car, and over the next 15 days, we drove from New York to Miami, via Philadelphia, Washington DC, Charlottesville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Tallahassee and Tampa Bay. Needless to say, we saw and experienced a lot!

It seems futile to sum up such an intense vacation within a blogpost, especially considering the many twists and turns we had through out the trip. One night we stayed at a shady and dirty road-side motel outside of Philadelphia just to check in at a 5 star hotel, less than a mile from the White House, the following night. We often ate a sandwich for lunch, while parked at a gas station, just to arrive at our destination and go out to have a nice dinner at places like JCT Kitchen and Bar in Atlanta. One day we would buy rain-boots and the next we would be tanning on Miami Beach.

But there are a couple of things worth mentioning, that has less to do with what we saw, ate and did and more to do with the circumstances under which we travelled.

This is the fourth major trip Theres and I do together. 2009 we did a road-trip from San Francisco to LA, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. The following year we went island-hopping in Thailand and last year we went diving in Mexico. Since our trip to Thailand, we both live much healthier lifestyles. This has resulted in a combined weight-loss of about 100lbs. In the process, both of us has found strength in eating correctly and exercising regularly. So unlike our old selves, we did not use vacationing in a car as an excuse to overindulge and be lazy. We made a point in booking hotels with a gym/cardio-room and we exercised every other day.

One evening when I was up-loading photos onto my laptop, I realized I had our old photos from Thailand on my computer. We were both shocked to see our "before-pictures". It's been about 1,5 years since we took those photos, and look where we are now. I am so proud of the accomplishment  I feel a need to share my excitement.

The other things I need to share is about the car we drove. As I mentioned, we picked up a rental car in New York. As we travelled on a budget, we decided we didn't need a big car, as long as it was reliable and big enough for two. We got our wishes granted. It was with a certain surprise and hesitation we accepted the car we were given. True, it was big enough for two. We were also able to fit our luggage, at least after we folded the back seats. Our new shining steed soon earned itself a name. The Beast.

But don't judge a book by its cover. It was surprisingly strong and fast. We had plenty of space in the cabin and needless to say, the milage was awesome. It costed us roughly $20 to drive from Atlanta to Tallahassee  (approx. 265 miles). Initially, we were a bit concerned about the safety aspect of the car. In a car crash, we would not have faired well. But again, there was no need to worry. Other cars (and trucks) treated us as if we were bicyclists. They gave us plenty of room and drove very carefully around us.

All in all, the road-trip was fantastic. There are so many things I could have written about and so many impressions I would have liked to share. But in the end of the day, places, foods and sights will still be there. It is who you get to share them with that makes it special and turns a trip into a once in a lifetime experience. I can proudly say I got to share this amazing memory with The Beauty and The Beast.