A First Date in Prague

Meeting in Prague

Today is special. Ten years ago to the day, Chelsea and I met for the first time.

In Prague.

At the time, I was studying abroad in Gothenburg, Sweden. (Ok, mostly having fun.) Chelsea had just moved to Portland. Through an introduction from her brother, my college roommate, she and I wound up chatting online, then Skyping.

An offhand comment from me about traveling in Europe resulted in her booking a plane ticket to fly across the Atlantic for a first date. It was my bushy fro that wooed her.

I know, I know - I'm a serious charmer.

I know, I know – I’m a serious charmer.

We united in a square in Prague and kicked off a month journey through red-roofed Czech villages and Croatian islands with spectacular views and free house wine. Just in case we didn’t hit it off, Chelsea brought shirts emblazoned with FUN, the theme of the trip. She also brought fake buck teeth and temporary tattoos with sayings like Girl Love to embarrass me.

Turns out that we liked each other.

Two months later, she was back in Portland. Meanwhile, I took the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Russia with my brother. (A story for another day.) Then Chelsea soldiered through a long trip to meet me in Beijing to kick off our second date – 2.5 months exploring the far reaches of SE Asia from China to Thailand.

Top of a holy mountain somewhere in SW China.

Top of a mountain somewhere in SW China.

Let’s just say traveling together 24 hours per day is a quick way to get to know someone. We decided life together would be fun, so I got on a flight to Portland and moved in with her.

Since then, the saying about time flapping its wings has proven true. We’ve worked hard on businesses, dug into a community of friends in Portland, and built a life together. There were small trips, all woven into a busy work, social, and city life. The end of 2013 was major life shift when we headed out on a “four month” van trip that continues to evolve and has transformed how we aspire to live.

Alright, you caught me - this one is from a day exploring Vietnam by scooter. Everyone needs a pink umbrella while scootering...

Wait, that’s not our van! Exploring Vietnam by scooter in 2006. Pink umbrellas for rain protection are mandatory.

We get along well, even in a small space like a van or pedaling thousands of miles together, but we’re not perfect. There are fights, misunderstandings, and moments when she tells me to go for a run or force-feeds me to send my Hangry Alter-Ego (NARG) into retreat. (Check out my Happy Wife Happy Life post for tips on keeping it together on the road.)

Still, I figure we must be doing something right. When I think about it, there’s one thing that’s the bedrock of our successful partnership:

We never stop learning, or more importantly, being open to what the other person is learning.

It’s as simple as that. There are books about the five love languages, techniques on non-violent communication, and plenty of expensive therapists available. For us, continuing to learn, exploring the world, and growing keeps life interesting and aligns us on a path together.

Hanging with our favorite lambs at Farm Sanctuary.

Hanging with our favorite lambs at Farm Sanctuary.

To celebrate our ten year anniversary of meeting with a fitting gift, I dug deep into our photo collection. First, I picked over 1,000 photos of the two of us, starting April 5, 2006. Shots of us laughing, hiking, hanging with friends, doing handstands, wearing hats sideways, riding bikes, and all the fun of 3,650 days as a couple.

Then I made a photo mosaic with Mosaically using those photos to create a big print to surprise Chelsea. The shot I chose is a goofy one from our wedding day wearing those original FUN shirts. When you look at it from afar, it’s a portrait of the two of us. Upon closer inspection, it’s a 1,000 tiny moments we’ve spent together.

One of my favorite shots, now built from 10 years of fun moments.

One of my favorite shots, now built from 10 years of fun moments. (Here’s the original.)

After all, what is a relationship but a compilation of the moments shared with someone you care about? When I look at this print, I think of not just the times Chelsea made me smile, laugh, or feel special. I also dream of the expanding landscape of our lives, how many more adventures we will have, and how much we’ll learn and explore together. We’re just getting started.

Chelsea, thanks for being my life partner. Here’s to filling the next mosaic with many more photos of us sporting temporary tattoos or doing handstands. I love you.

I finally found a place to use a dorky wedding photo! It's amazing what those photographers can talk you into...

Yesssss – I finally found a place to use a dorky wedding photo! It’s amazing what those photographers can talk you into.

5 replies
  1. John Bravard
    John Bravard says:

    Very cool post! So great to see you two happy together. I may steal your mosaic idea. Imitation is, after all, the finest form of flattery!

    Reply
  2. Jen
    Jen says:

    Yesssss. Cheesy wedding photo! Love it. You guys are such a great example of working together as a partnership and inspiring friends to have and travel with. Here’s to many more years of adventuring!
    Jen recently posted…Inside My Camp KitchenMy Profile

    Reply
    • Dakota
      Dakota says:

      Thanks Jen. Back at you! Oh, and there are more where that photo came from. The one of us kissing with the setting sun between our lips MAY be the worst photo ever. How we turned into automatons following the photographer’s every command, I don’t know…

      Reply

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