I write from a friend’s sitting room where JT and I are dog-sitting. It’s comfortably strewn with Christmas decorations and toddler toys, and currently missing the massive pup who is romping around in the yard.

JT and I got married eleven days ago. We were blessed by incredible love and care from family and friends that wrapped us like a thick blanket. Our people went to great lengths to help us enact a few-day weekend of festivities, intentional time together, fun, laughing, dancing, gifts, toasts, a beautiful ceremony in the Estes Park (Colorado) cold, and all the traveling, logistics, short nights, cooking, cleaning, communications, and more necessary to make it all possible. I have never felt more loved, especially to make happen a weighty and permanent life status change that doesn’t sit with all people the same way. Thank you to all who supported, attended, messaged, cared for us, and continue to support and attend and message and care.

JT and I hopped on a plane the next day and breezed over to Iceland for a short, cozy honeymoon. It delivered a lovely combination of adventure, lazy recovery, and Aurora Borealis. We returned to Denver a married couple this past Sunday. It’s still wild and surreal to think about. The last weeks have planted in our hearts and minds so much to appreciate, reflect on, and wonder over. I feel deeply content, amazed, and thankful.

Big projects and questions remain — JT is applying to PhD programs (with deadlines looming this weekend that make it crunch time for finishing those off) which could mean relocation to any of a few places around the country come next fall. My professional realities need to change, and now that we’re post-wedding, that is priority number one heading into the new year. My car needs to be retired, we need to plan a wedding reception for spring 2025, and we have lots of administrative tasks on the list like budgeting and cleaning and figuring out insurance to properly usher in this next era for us as a couple.

In the midst of admin and daily shuffle and logistics galore, it’s nice to look out the window and catch moments to dream here and there. It’s also nice to sleep a little bit longer than the last few months’ average, go on a leisurely run together, sit for a moment not doing anything, drink coffee and gab about ideas… We’ve managed to enjoy some of these instances over the last few days and they have proved soul-balming. Everyone reading this, I’d highly recommend some soul-balming moments of your own with someone you love over the coming few hectic weeks as we approach the holidays and then the turn of the year. Here’s to new stages and to slowness and to optimism about the future.

Until next,

-LS