So Tomorrow....or in about 12 hours our time...marks our 5th wedding anniversary. It seems like just yesterday but in other ways it seems like a lifetime ago. We used to joke about what it would be like when we had been married 5 years, wondering how many children we would have and where we would be living. Never did I imagine the answers to be anything like they are today. I would never have guessed that we would be living in a semi-tropical climate-in a land full of rich history, learning a new language and way of life and having 2 beautiful children with us. Somehow I thought we would still be at home (canada) working and living life like most people.
Looking back, I am amazed at the descisions we made that brought us here. They were not surprising decisions, as we knew this was the direction we both wanted to go in before we got married. Small decisions it seemed at the time that started events rolling. Picking up the phone, setting up a meeting, talking about our hopes and dreams and now 5 years and 2 children later we are here.
We have seen some incredible things in life up to this point. Some together and some on our own before we met. When I look at the things I have been able to see/do I am amazed.
I have swam in the Indian, pacific and atlantic oceans. Got wet in the red and marmara seas. Climbed Mt. Sinai, where Moses (maybe?) stood to watch the sunrise. Stood at the foot and gazed upon the great pyramids of Egypt, rode a camel through the desert, watched Niagara Falls thunder down, Lived on the edge of the Great Rift Valley in Africa, hiked and camped in the Grand Canyon, visited 5 of 7 continents and visited the Ayasofia and Blue Mosque.
When I look back I think, how in the world did I do all this? It doesnt really feel like me. I am realizing how the decisions I make can impact life, mine and others. I am so grateful that I have been able to experience all that I have.
Somehow when I think of all that, the thing that really sticks with me is the people. The people I met, the people I travelled with, the people I have cried with or cried for. The little girl who was healed from not being able to walk to being able to run, the orphaned and abandoned babies I was able to love and care for, the begger ladies on the street and yes, even the men who held me up at gunpoint in one particularly memorable event. I still think about them and wonder how their lives have been since that time. These experiences and these people have shaped me and made me who I am today. I would not be the same person I am now had I not experienced this. I want this for my children, I dont want to shelter them from the world but I want them to learn compassion and how people all over the world think. How to treat others who have a different skin colour, language, or religion with respect and love. How to really get into people's lives and share with them.
I guess all that is to really say, Its been a crazy 5 years but they have been great. I am excited to see what other adventures we will have together in the next few decades.
