13 Places

Dear B,

Today is our 13th wedding anniversary and as this publishes, we're somewhere between St. Petersburg and Philadelphia, via Paris and NYC. We'll be in three countries and five cities on our anniversary, something I doubt we'll repeat very many times.

The last 13 years have been an amazing journey with you by my side. Oh, the places we've been, the laughs we've shared, the tears we've cried. Since this anniversary is a travel day, I thought it would be fun to take a quick look at 13 of my favorite places that we've been together. I'm looking forward to adding many more to the list and continuing to work on our goal of visiting all 50 states together.

Mechanicsburg, the town where you grew up, where I lived when we were dating and where we got married. I love hearing stories of your childhood escapades as we walk the familiar streets and make our annual trek to Rakestraw's for ice cream.

Dillsburg, the home of the famous pickle drop, where we welcomed the millennium together. Fancee! The town where we met and then lived when we were first married; the place the children will forever know as their hometown.

Washington, D.C., the site of our first kiss as a flock of squawking birds flew overhead. Unforgettable.

St. Maarten, honeymoon destination. Beautiful beaches, entertaining bingo callers, a rickety rental car that barely made it around the island, fresh squeezed orange juice that we've yet to find again ... what an awesome time together. Since our honeymoon was a gift, we weren't sure where we'd end up based on time-share availability, but I think we won the honeymoon lottery.

Stone Castle Motel, our very own Bates Motel that deserves a post of its own. Let's just say we don't ever need to repeat this adventure, although I now laugh every time I remember that long, creepy night. Clearly, this proves I'll go anywhere with you.

Hershey, where we now live. I love this stage of our life and the life we have in this town. I know we were brought here for a reason (or 10) and I'm thankful for that. We survived a year of renovating this house together and I'm thankful we've agreed never to do that again! Surely the basement reno won't be as taxing.

The Cabin, where we've created so many memories. One of my favorites was getting snowed in over New Year's 2013. Peaceful, relaxing, it's a blessing.

Aruba, where we parasailed on your 50th birthday. I still can't believe I did it, but I'm glad we did it together!

Banff, one of the most beautiful parts of Canada we've seen. Mixed memories from this trip, since it ended with you coming down with shingles.

Virginia Beach, where we spent my 40th birthday. Special surprise to have the Brennemans join us. Little did we know how special that time together would be in light of the events to come. I also finished this birthday a lot more sparkly than I started it!

 

Alaska, the trip we took in honor of your 50th birthday. What a wonderful two weeks that was, filled with beautiful sights, ziplining and interesting people. "She's going down! She's going down!"

Cape May, our favorite beach getaway. The first time we went was for our second anniversary. We've been back several times, including for my birthday this year. It's always a fun time putting our toes in the sand, pedaling around town and enjoying a wonderful meal.

Russia, our most recent adventure. I can't say too much about this trip since I'm writing this before we leave, but I have a sense that this trip should be on the Top 13 list. I'm glad we experienced this country together.

Here's to all the adventure yet to come. Happy Anniversary!