Well, Tawny, it is that time of year again. That tail end of our annual adventures in which I remind you of what happened, so that you don’t forget. Since for some reason, you often do. 2014, the year of the Horse, was all that we expected, and more. It should also be mentioned, since you forget this part too, that all of this was made possible by our choosing to make it a priority. So, Tawny, here is the state of our union for 2014.
We got our first apartment!
And we got to bring this little guy home.
You were shocked.
We traveled to Iceland.
Which was also shocking.
And Hawaii.
And Mexico, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and even Haiti.
(This isn’t a picture of you, but you were involved in taking it. That’s why I didn’t change it, even though you told me to.)
We went to Spain.
We delved into Slovenia. And owe so much of that to Flytographer.
We went to Sri Lanka.
We delivered a letter on the Maverick Expedition!
We went to all of our friend’s weddings, and officiated most of them.
Yes, I married all of your friends.
We went cruising with Ashley Day.
And perhaps you had a little too much fun.
Shocking, I know.
You got closer to your family.
And mine. (We even road tripped Oregon with them.)
We celebrated old family.
And we rejoiced at the chance to know our grandfathers.
And adopted family.
And new family.
We played with elephants.
We spoke at a lot of different conferences.
We toasted life.
We got tattoos.
We got REALLY into games.
Including the ultimate game, the Game of Thrones.
REALLY REALLY into Game of Thrones.
Shockingly into Game of Thrones.
We fought the good fight.
We navigated the seas.
We tamed wild animals.
We got into cycling.
And the most shocking part was how unbelievably gorgeous you were.
We met our friends all around the world.
We got even MORE into archery.
People were (dare I say) shocked, at how good we became.
We hosted the 8th Annual Castle Staudinger Archery Tournament.
We laid siege to castles.
We swam in hot springs.
We were a part of the birth of Arrack Tonic.
We became better Vikings.
We got to know our home better.
We went to the Pro-Democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong.
Picnicked in Spain.
Saved the world from destruction a few times.
We even flew to Vegas more than usual.
We climbed mountains, swam in glacial lakes, and celebrated birthdays.
We hosted very adult dinner parties that may or may not have spiraled into wild nautical themed drinking parties in the blink of an eye.
Drifted up and away in a hot air balloon across Costa Brava.
Drove through Iceland.
Rode a helicopter through the skies.
Then to celebrate your birthday, we hunted truffles, in Croatia.
We attended our high school reunions.
And hey, we celebrated one year of marriage!
We tried Icelandic fermented shark.
Got our first Christmas tree. Like real life adults.
We attended Oktoberfest, in Leavenworth.
We returned to the annual Cider Press, where you learned how to tear an apple in half with your bare hands… just like a true Winesap.
And you always managed to look so shockingly sexy.
We even managed to get home after a night of epic karaoke in NYC.
We pushed our limits this year.
We allowed ourselves the freedom to be animated. (Get it?)
And we celebrated your calves.
All of this, and so much more. This year was a long year of trials, successes, and triumphs. Dear Tawny, remember how much we accomplished this year, and celebrate how far we’ve come.
Steph
Every year I read this letter and every year I get pissed at Mike for not being able to eloquently sum up our adventures in such a romantic fashion.
I still love it though! Sounds like a great year all around. My favorite part was the part where we were in Sri Lanka. My least favorite part was the grandfather’s dying (I lost one this year too. And a grandma).
I hope next year includes more adventures involving your new neighbors, Mike and I!
Steph recently posted…7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Traveling to Southeast Asia
Tawny
Seeing more of you two would make all of our dreams come true. Let’s make sure that we see your faces for next year’s roundup 😉
Tawny recently posted…An epic year. 2014 in review
Sofie
This is so shockingly cute.
Can I marry you guys? 😀
Tawny
Why yes, Sophie! You CAN marry us? Let’s get the whole ceremony figured out in Finland.
Tawny recently posted…An epic year. 2014 in review
Stef
Love this post. Great photos, great accomplishments, epic year! I wish you two all the best for 2015 and happy travels!
Tawny
Thank you so much! It’s always a nice time to reflect and give thanks for all that we’ve been able to see and do. 🙂
Tawny recently posted…An epic year. 2014 in review
Inma
AWWW
You guys are the CUTEST EVER!!!
So happy to have met you and looking forward to the reunion in Finland next month!
Inma recently posted…Como Prepararse para una Feria de Turismo. El caso #NBEFinland
David Burlison
What an amazing travel life you have..
Hannah @ GettingStamped
What a great recap of yet another epic year! FYI I want to steal your cat & dog both adorable!
Hannah @ GettingStamped recently posted…Top 14 Travel Moments of 2014
Camels & Chocolate
Your year-end recaps are pretty much my favorite thing ever. Can it be the end of 2015 so I can get another such post? Pretty please?
Camels & Chocolate recently posted…Road Rules: Driving to Sicily
Edwina
What an amazing year. I like your dinner parties. Ours usually turn into intensely competitive game nights. Typically it’s something like Taboo or Pictionary, but we’ve also had post-Paella-Dodgeball fights. Are you coming to TBEX Europe? If so you should stop by Barcelona and check out Anti-Karaoke, I think you’d love it!
Edwina recently posted…Soups and Sunsets in Mui Ne, Vietnam: Teenagers vs. Taxi Drivers
Will
Never have I been so consistently shocked! 😛
Great post guys, have loved keeping up with your adventures, keep up the good work and hopefully I shall catch you at TBEX in Bangkok!! 🙂
Will recently posted…How To Volunteer on a Budget