Love Is... (The 30th Anniversary Road Trip Edition)

As you may or may not know, my wife and I are celebrating our 30th anniversary in September and we decided to mark the occasion with a road trip this month (since our youngest was away at camp).

While the trip continues, I wanted to share some reflections (and pictures from the trip) related to what it means to love somebody for 30+ years (you'd probably have to include the 5 years we dated). So with a loving nod to Ziggy, ...

Love is...

Instantly forgiving her when she pulls out her daughter's passport instead of her own when you're 3 cars from the US Border Services guy. (Note, this picture is a re-enactment of the look I gave her before flinging her daughter's passport to the floor of the car).

Love is...
Putting a smile on your face while trudging a mile in sweltering heat, then another mile (uphill in slightly-less sweltering heat) before and after attending a concert you didn't really know you wanted to attend.









Love is...
Setting aside your morbid fear of mosquitoes and abhorrence of the smell of weed to attend an outdoor concert you didn't really know you wanted to attend.










Love is...
Gently and patiently explaining to your wife that James Taylor is not Cat Stevens just before attending his concert at Tanglewood.











Love is...
Resolving the mystery of Waldo's whereabouts and keeping the secret just between the two of you (okay, he's in Williamstown MA).









Love is...
Fourth of July fireworks from the parking lot because the mosquitoes are out in full force.

Love is...

Braving a haunted antique store, together (except upstairs, where there was definitely a presence, but not her presence because she refused to go up there with you).

Love is...

Eating lobster together with bibs on and agreeing not to take any pictures of each other with bibs on.

Love is...
A long walk on a long breakwater with no clear end in sight.










Love is...
Being able to laugh at startlingly insightful fridge magnets without ever telling each other about whom they are insightful.












Love is...
Sharing the cuisine from your very first date, again, 34.5 years later.












Love is...
A scenic drive up, and then down, a mountain with nowhere to stop while suppressing a pressing need for a bathroom. (Author's note 1: I just noticed that the word 'suppressing' has two pees in it - that seems important). (Author's note 2: the stop pictured here isn't from the aforementioned mountain drive where there was nowhere to stop.)







Love is...
Agreeing to disagree on whether a certain t-shirt would be appropriate to buy and wear around your 10-year-old and her friends.










Love is...
Both agreeing to try gizzards and sea urchins because that's what the chef sends you on his mystery table d'hote.










Love is...

Admitting that what your partner ordered is better than what you ordered (even if you never actually verbalize your admission).










Love is...
Holding hands during a haunted walk through Quebec City (even if the scariest thing about the walk is that a lot of it is uphill).

Love is...
The same from every vantage point.










Love is...

Spending every single moment together for more than a week without once wishing you could be alone or with someone else - even your dear, dear daughters who you also love very much.