Three Years Today

Summer of 2009 was a rather eventful season. I have just turned 25 going spinster (and the butt of the family joke 'Never been kissed, never been touched'). I have finally crossed the other side of the border and stepped on Spanish soil only after a year of living in Gibraltar. I have bought myself a Nikon D60 before boarding the ferry to Tangiers and was rather proud of my first SLR outputs. To top it off, our British friend said my photos 'captured the atmosphere' of the place.

Just days after we have crossed the Straight of Gibraltar, we embarked on another weekend get-away with friends in a campsite in Marbella. Encouraged by his interest in my photography, we started a conversation and over the course of the weekend, discovered a similar outlook in life and the same passion for travel and adventure.   

I have written about the man of my dreams long before I met him. I have waited and prayed for him over the years. So when he finally found me, I already knew but I had to keep my fingers crossed that God would also know I was ready.

That weekend was followed with four days of subtle flirting over our Facebook statuses, a text message with an 'x' and an eventual confession through an electronic message. There was nothing British 'Do you fancy going out for a drink' about it nor my response a hard-earned Filipino 'Yes' after long periods of courtship. It was as unconventional as only two non-conformists can get away with. 

So on this very night 36 months ago, to top up an already eventful summer, I had my very first kiss in the middle of a dance floor, with half of Gibraltar dancing to the classics of Abba. It was long and sweet, and everything I have dreamt it would be like. 

What followed is an exciting roller coaster ride involving weekend trips in Costa del Sol and Portugal; European city breaks; getting married; moving to Britain; becoming a football (supporter's) wife; learning to be domesticated; crossing the Bosphorus and meeting our Turkish family; driving around the English countryside; visiting my family back home; losing our passports in Central Europe; driving around Scotland and reaching Wale's highest point. This kind of lifestyle has once or twice left us broke and unemployed yet inspired and worldly-wise. Perhaps success has evaded us but happiness has not, and for that we are blessed.     

Three years today, life as we knew it, took on a different light. But for two people who have spent every single day together since then (apart from the few weeks before and after our wedding day), it has always felt longer than that.