8 years

Nathan gave me his ring to wear when we started dating. I kept it hidden on an anklet or a chain around my neck for a long time.

I never had an engagement ring, but we got the matching wedding rings I wanted. No gold or diamonds for this girl!


Last week was our 8-year anniversary. I had the brilliant idea to go on a cave tour near us, and try new ethnic cuisine. Yeah, brilliant. The last time we went hiking was on our honeymoon. The 1 1/2 mile hike to the cave was pretty rough on us, even though we went when it was cool. Nathan was still half asleep. The camera died after three photos, even though I had grabbed new (but sadly dead) batteries that day. My phone camera didn't work in the dark cave.


The power went out while in the cave, and only two people had flashlights. The guide hauled out two emergency glow sticks, which didn't help much given the size of our group. We had light every few people, but mostly we walked in the dark listening to instructions from people with lights. "Stairs coming up, 15 of them." "Duck on the third step!" It made me grateful I didn't find the cave initially and explore it by candlelight.



After we got back down the mountain, we went to see Cars 2. I was so tired I almost fell asleep. The movie was interesting but not that impressive. We were too stinky and sore to go for food. We went home and Nathan slept the rest of the afternoon.


The next day, we had dessert at a Thai restaurant. (Still using the phone camera, sorry.) We got sticky rice with mango and coconut milk. It was incredibly delicious.


Halfway up the hill, Nathan decided our next anniversary would consist of a spa visit. I don't think hiking will be in our future anytime soon. It's not meant for two out-of-shape people!