Jan 5, 2021
Written from a blog I ran in 2013.
I’ve just celebrated my first year anniversary. And what an amazing year it has been.
Although it has not been as filled with writing as I would always like, I have had plenty of real-life adventures that will surely lend a hand in many writing adventures yet to come.
The greatest moment of my life, thus far, is the day I married Scott Comte.
I remember once, probably seven years ago, I prayed for adventures. I wanted to try new things and go new places. I wanted unique experiences.
My prayers were definitely answered.
I met Scott about two-and-a-half years ago at church. Actually, through a church activity. I knew his sister but not him before that fateful adventure to Lake Powell. He needed a ride and I was driving. So he and another girl, who pretty much slept in the back the entire time, rode with me for five hours.
We had a great time and got to know each other pretty well. We talked of dreams and goals and all that fancy get-to-know-you kind of stuff. It was great.
After the trip, Scott and I became friends. (Five hours is the perfect amount of time for a friendship to form.) We often talked and joked, mostly joked, about different things. We even had a joke that we were going to get married. (This started when Scott proposed to me with a pretzel.) Little did we know that the joke would become a wonderful reality.
Last June, I was planning to move to Michigan and live with my brother. I needed a BIG change, and moving to Michigan sounded like a good one. Scott was going to basic training in a month. So, we were definitely headed in different directions—heading off to our separate adventures.
From somewhere, I’m still not sure from where, a comment came out of my mouth that Scott should ask me on a date. And he did.
On our first date, Scott picked me up and we went to dinner and bowling. Later we went to an improv comedy show called Comedy Sports. The best part about the evening was that everything was so natural. We were already friends and we loved being with each other. It felt only natural that we would go on a second date… and a third date… and a fourth date… and many more. We dated that whole month before Scott went to Basic. And somewhere in there we decided to get married.
I admit that when Scott left for basic training I had a hard time. I had just fallen in love and we had decided we wanted to get married. But I wouldn’t be able to talk to Scott for two months, except for the letters and the 4-minute Sunday call when we had time for only “How are you?” “I’m great. How are you?”
However, I did still have Michigan. I wasn’t going for as long as I had first planned—before I didn’t have any intention of coming back—but I would go until just before Christmas.
Scott definitely had his own adventure while in basic. He learned a lot and had some very interesting experiences. And, I, of course, had my own adventures in Michigan with my brother’s family and my working remotely.
At this point, Scott and I decided we would get married in May.
But more adventures awaited us.
I went to see Scott for his graduation from Basic Training, with his parents. Yes, I was a bit nervous. I didn’t know his family, other than his sister, very well. We had met and we had at least one dinner together before Scott and I went off to our respective adventures, but this time I was more nervous and hoped I could make a good impression.
I had never gotten a hotel by myself before, and I had never rented a car, but in San Antonio over a year ago, I did both. The car came later, of course, and I stayed in the same hotel as Scott’s parents, just in a different room and on a different floor.
It really was a great adventure with me navigating the GPS while Scott’s dad drove the confusing freeway. The best part, however, was when I got to see Scott all dressed up in his blues and lookin’ smokin’ hot.
I really did have a great time with Scott’s parents. And it was a good time to get to know them. But, I must admit, the highlights of that adventure were when Scott and I would sneak knowing glances at each other and whisper about our future plans. We had so much to look forward to. Oh, wait, maybe the highlight was after we took his parents to the airport and then went to look at rings, just for ideas…
Note, that by this time, our wedding date had moved up to April.
I had to go back to Michigan, sadly. It was really hard to say good-bye to Scott. But he was headed off to Fort Sam, still in San Antonio, and I had to get back to Michigan.
For Thanksgiving, I took another adventure down to San Antonio. It was just the two of us. We had a wonderful, delectible feast made up of deli turkey with orange marmalade, some deli salads, rolls, and a pumpkin pie, while enjoying the scenery of a big park we found that included a zoo, a Japanese tea garden, and a little train.
At this point, our wedding date moved to March.
Reluctantly I left San Antonio, once again. But the nice thing about this adventure was that we would see each other again in three weeks. I would be back in Utah and Scott would also be home for two weeks.
This is where the adventure gets exciting.
During my journey home, I received a phone call from Scott. He said he found out some more about his training. There were three phases. He was in phase 1. Phase 2 would be somewhere else. That would be two months. Then Phase 3 would be in Washington where he was to be stationed. As we talked, we wondered what this meant for our wedding plans. He mentioned that he could come home on a holiday weekend and we could get married, and then I could go with him to phase 2. Presidents’ Day weekend in February might work.
A February wedding? That soon? Didn’t I just tell my brother that I was definitely not getting married in February? But that’s what we planned. Wedding in February, just a month and a half after Christmas.