It’s Rachel’s Birthday!

It was several years ago, and our holiday season had been packed.  We had been so busy every week, traveled so much, and had so many sessions and weddings that year that Rachel and I thought to ourselves, “Why does the New Year have to start for us in January?”

I mean sure, January has been the traditional start of the new year since Julius Caesar’s reign.  It was set on the festival of Janus to look both back to the past and forward to the future, and it will continue to denote a new calendar year for most of the world for the foreseeable future.

But why does OUR year need to start then?

And what about our individual years?  Aren’t they also a time for reflection and contemplation, for renewal and hope?

We decided at that point that our Personal New Year would be our anniversary.  We love fall and the start of the holiday season season anyways.  October, November, and December are filled with some of our most sacred occasions – our wedding anniversary (October), my birthday (November), Thanksgiving (November), and Christmas (December).

But Rachel’s birthday is today, March 2!  And every year, we tend to do quite a bit more reflection and renewal now, when spring is in the air.

Last year, I wrote this post about Rachel and her birthday.  I talked a lot about our wanting to have adventures together and how I was excited to see where we’d go and what we’d do this year.  So in the spirit of reflection, I’d first like to take a moment to remind Rachel how awesome 34 was for her with some facts about the past year.  During this time, we have:

– Taken 4 trips across the country

– Taken 1 trip across the Atlantic

– Traveled to 3 other countries on 2 continents

– Seen 4 major mountain ranges up close and personal

– Walked hundreds of miles on beautiful trails in several states (almost) barefoot

– Done three epic road trips totaling over 3000 miles

– Slept in a campervan for 8 nights in some of the most beautiful locations in the world

– Photographed weddings in 2 other countries

– Made some major life and business decisions together

– Gone to…okay I seriously can’t even tally how many different coffee shops!

Looking back on what we’ve done this year seems staggering, and feels inspirational in the best of ways.  Only in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine actually going to the places we’ve gone, and actually doing the things that we’ve done.  And it was beyond even those dreams to have done those things with the person I love most in this world.

Each and every day, I have grown to love you more, Rachel.  I am humbled and honored to be your husband, and to have adventured all over this earth with you, and I am in awe when I think about the possibilities of where we can go from here and where the next year will take us.

So, in the spirit of looking forward: Here’s to a new year, new adventures, and new possibilities.  Together.

Happy birthday, my love!

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