I guess the Schnells are one year closer to becoming an old married couple, as May 20th marked our fourth anniversary. Lucky for me, Shane was feeling exceptionally romantic and booked us an overnight getaway in a secret location – my only instructions were to meet him at the ferry terminal at noon on Thursday. His plans were revealed as we boarded the Bainbridge Island boat – he had reserved us a night at a little cottage tucked away on the island. It felt nice to look back at the Seattle skyline with my husband, to know that we were cruising away from work, from the house, and from the daily grind, so that we could spend the next 24 hours focusing on each other. We were due for some ‘us’ time.
Any good getaway includes plenty of indulgent food, so after fish ‘n chips and beer at the Harbour Public House, we zipped right over to Mora for ice cream. They have 48 flavors there. My lifelong dream is to try them ALL. Post-ice cream, we headed over to Fort Ward Park for a little afternoon nature walk. The sun was shining, the wind was whispering the trees, the woods were rich with just about every imaginable shade of green, and so the stage was set for a perfectly sappy hand-in-hand anniversary stroll. Lovely. A snake temporarily startled me out of my bliss, but he seemed much more interested in the slug he was trying to devour than he was in us, so we continued on our way.
After our walk, we were ready to check into our cottage, crack open a bottle of wine, and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing. Our accommodations were perfect – cozy, quiet, and nestled in among the trees… Ten minutes there, and I was ready to move in.
We had a fabulous dinner at Agate Pass, and after a spontaneous 20-minute detour to check out the casino we passed on the way back to our place (I won $15 at my first slot machine and decided to quit while I was ahead), we were ready to call it a night. Turning in at 10 pm is another sure sign that we’re on our way to becoming an old married couple.
Sleeping in is also a crucial part of a good getaway, and so we did just that on Friday morning, rolling out of bed in time to devour the delicious homemade breakfast that was delivered to our door. Fresh-baked scones and French-press coffee, enjoyed from a little table next to a window that looks out into the forest? Yes, please! I really was enamored with the woods – ferns and moss and green, green trees as far as the eye can see. I can feel myself becoming more and more of a Northwestern-er every day.
And then it was time to bid the island farewell and cruise back toward Seattle. And yes, that means heading back to work, and the house, and the daily grind, but it also means heading home with the man I love. Candles and wine and afternoon walks in the woods are all good things, but I suppose there’s also romance to be found in an evening spent on the couch together watching a baseball game, or a quick kiss good-bye on our way out the door in the morning. So until May 20th rolls around again, I will be savoring the goodness of the day-in, day-out, which is really what’s gotten us through the last four years, and will carry us through the next forty.
