One Year Ago Today...

A year ago Zach came home from his two-week study abroad trip to China. That was the LONGEST day, and it did NOT help that his plane was late AND I got a parking ticket. We were so excited to see one another that he swept me off my feet and spun me around. It's still one of my favorite memories. :)

(This was actually taken the morning he let, but I think it helps recreate the scene...)

We only got to talk to each other once when he was away, and it was awkward (as are most of our phone conversations *lol*), and his trip was so jam-packed, he didn't get to email regularly. But I lived for those emails. When I got one, I would read it over and over. I would check my email first thing in the morning to see if he had sent me one, and I would stay up late in case he could only get to a computer then. It made me feel like an incredibly old-fashioned lover pouring over love letters from half-way 'round the world. Every now and then I pull them out, and it makes me so incredibly happy to know he was planning for our future all that spring and into summer, including while on his trip.

I was so happy to see him, but I was also nervous. We only had a week until I was leaving for a three-week study abroad trip in England, and he was starting his internship that Monday after his return. I just wanted to spend all of our time together, and I wanted it to be stress-free. Time and distance changes relationships (not always negatively), but I was afraid we were going to have to readjust despite having only been apart for a total of five weeks. A LOT can change in a few days...

At the time of my birthday, I really thought he was going to propose. A week before my birthday, he had presented me with a "magic box," explaining that each day I would have to say the magic words and the box would open to reveal a gift. I thought that each present would increase in value (I don't mean in monetary value either, thankyouverymuch)--I mean I thought that, on my birthday, I would get an engagement ring. At this point, we had talked about our future, and he was WAY TOO CALM regarding the fact that we would graduate in a year and perhaps be separated--as if he knew we wouldn't.

(I don't think he gave the gifts in any set order; they were presented rather randomly.)

When he came home from China, I didn't want to let him go! When I was in England the following week, I loved being there, but I wished he had been with me and I thought constantly of our future--including getting married. (And I was certain he would propose upon my return. ;)