Five years of gratitude

Five years ago today I married my best friend.

It was the best party of my life, with over a hundred of our closest friends and family there, and one of the only times in our adult lives that all of my siblings have been together.  We had a beautiful honeymoon in Ireland, the first of many amazing trips we've taken in these five years.  We've been fortunate to remain close to many of those who celebrated with us, but perhaps even more fortunate to have become close to so many others in the meantime.  In fact, I sometimes wonder what our guest list would look like if our wedding were today.  I certainly wouldn't take anyone off the original list, but I can also think of just as many newer friends who I now couldn't imagine celebrating my wedding without.  Sometimes I even find myself forgetting that many of them weren't there in the first place.

I guess that's a good thing.  Five years of marriage that only feel like two or three, and a life surrounded by friends who never fail to inspire us.  Yes, there have been some hard moments, but never without friends nearby to lift us up, and often none more than those in our climbing community.  To those of you who were with us the first time around, thank you for always being there.  To those who have come into our lives since then, yeah you missed a good party but we have plenty of time to make it up.  Thank you all for being the incredible people you are.  And to Emily, thank you for always believing in me and helping me to be myself, even when that self doesn't always make the most sense.  Can't wait to see what the next five years will bring!

Post Edit 8/10/13- After a delicious dinner in Baltimore last night, keeping with her tradition of giving me a piece of her jewelry to carry with me when I'm away on climbing trips, Emily gave me one of the best anniversary presents ever.