Happy Anniversary, Love Letters & Airplanes

A year ago today it had been a 14 hour travel between the tear filled goodbyes, the airport and flights, the rushing to make it to between flights and stress of just wanting to be home already. Saying goodbye to the most incredible family in Portugal and crying buckets as we left to the airport wondering when the next time we would see each other again would be. My mother grasped my grandmother so tightly, heaved and cried and said goodbye. I knew she was wondering if it be her final goodbye, only God knew. I watched from the dinning room trying to hold it together and stay strong when inside I just wanted to start weeping like a two year old after their ice-cream hit the floor.

We gathered our things and got in the cars (of corse our whole family wanted to come see my mother and I off to the airport in Portugal). Dragging out the time before we had to walk through security was painful. We didn't want to leave aunts, uncles, cousins, family. With a deep breath, my mother and I gave our last hugs and started our journey back to Victoria.

The whole experience of flying home was honestly, horrible. We were tired, sad, and knew it was going to be a long day. We had a mishap with scheduling our flights no thanks to our local flight agent. We had less than a hour to catch our last flight home... my mother's health has never been great but a very traditional Portuguese woman and her pride was what stood in the way of us trying to hurry to the next gate - the staff at Air Canada really stepped up their game to get my mother and me on that flight and made sure she was ok to fly. My mother backed her pride down and realized the only way we could make it in the giant international airport was for her to trust me, and be assisted in the wheel chair with the help of Air Canada staff due to her health. It was the most frustrating experience of my life, trying to explain to my momma that I love her, and I know she wants to show me she is strong - but it's okay to be weak sometimes. She doesn't need to prove herself to me - I love and respect her.

While trying to get some Zzz's on the flight home, I dreamed of laying in my cozy bed and my new bedsheets I had bought prior to leaving (hey small comforts!). It felt like the day just keep growing longer. When it came time to descend altitutde, I moved my seat into the upright position only to hear from behind me the older man seating directly behind me not anticipating my move managed to spill his coffee all over his laptop... my sincere sorry just felt like it wasn't going to cut it... and well, he sure let me know about it. This day just kept getting better. Just wanting to be off the flight - finally 11:50pm, we finally arrived at the Victoria Airport. I remember walking through the airport door way to see my father, my brother Marco and.... Verlon... what? What is Verlon doing here? Verlon ferried here just to come to the airport just to see me?!

The Grand Gesture

With roses in his hand and a smile across his face he came to the airport to come get me along with my father & brother. The most amazing surprises after... quite a day! He co-ordinated the whole thing, from ferrying over to the island, arranging for himself to stay at a hotel (not to cause burden to anyone) just to come see me after a month and a half of being away. I had always loved the idea of being greeted with flowers at the airport and finally it was my turn. After such a painfully emotional day, Verlon was there with arms open and gave me the best embrace and told me he had missed me.

Knowing that someone will always be there for me throughout my ups and downs means the world and knowing that I can do the same for them and pick them up when they're down makes me truly believe in our partnership. We're a team and we work hard together. I've never been so happy and whole as an individual as I am now and to share that with the love of my life and believe in our relationship makes me feel truly blessed. We both bring our strengths and weakness' to make up an amazing couple. Even when we have our hard times because there will always been hard times, our good times are even more amazing because of the hard times.

Earlier this year we started journaling to each other. We had left notes all over the house, or put them in places to find and then we thought about just collecting them in a book. So now we write to each other. We write when we're excited, stressed or just want to say I love you - and I feel like this book brings us closer. Verlon is much better at staying on top of the writing than I am, but I do my best to keep up. Here's to the amazing people in our lives, and the amazing men!

I love you hunny, Happy Anniversary.

Our note book, and the sand we've collected with our adventures to new places.

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