Four Years of Marriage

Cheers to 4 Years of Marriage

By the Numbers: 1461 Days · 5 continents · 28 countries · 1 home · 1 pup

I am feeling grateful today. So, so grateful.

I get to see my family pretty infrequently. Usually once or twice a year we’ll plan a trip together, and in between we make a concerted effort to stay in touch via Skype and by phone. Despite our distance, my parents always confide that while they selfishly want us closer to them, they feel utterly content in knowing that I’m happy and that I’ve found someone who is the perfect partner for me. After all, they emphasize, isn’t that what parents ultimately want for their children? Their happiness, success, and ability to find their place in the world?

It’s true. Before getting married, I often wondered about the idea of getting married and ‘creating your own family’. I have a family – a wonderful family, at that – that I was born into and that I love. How could I create a family?

Then I met Scott, and I understood what it could be to create your own family; at least a new branch of a family with someone who you’re able to incorporate into something even greater. I know that no matter where we go, where we live, and what comes our way, we have each other, and that’s something pretty special.  They say that it is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages, and I can see how that’s true.

I honestly feel that above all, friendship and mutual respect create the core of our relationship. There’s no one in the world that I’d rather go through life with, and I wake up every day very grateful for that truth.

You can see images and a post from last year when we celebrated three years of marriage! Since then, we’ve kept the adventures rolling:

07.05.2016 – 07.05.2017

Nikki Beach St. Barths
Celebrating our 3rd anniversary in St. Barths!
A Day in St. Barths
Celebrating a friend’s birthday in St. Barths – Aug 2016
Museum of Islamic Art, Layover in Doha
Off to Africa, with a night in Qatar to explore Doha – September 2016
Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kigali
In Kigali at the Genocide Memorial – September 2016
Nyungwe Forest Canopy Walkway Tour
In Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest – September 2016
Crossing Lake Kivu - The Wanderlust Effect
Crossing Lake Kivu, one of our scarier experiences to date! – September 2016
Nyiragongo Hike, Virunga National Park, DRC
Heading out for gorilla trekking in the DRC – September 2016
Mt. Nyiragongo Hike, DRC - The Wanderlust Effect
Successfully climbing Mt. Nyiragongo in the DRC – we rocked it! – September 2016
Kazinga Channel Cruise, Uganda
Cruising on the Kazinga Channel in Uganda – September 2016
Bwama Island, Lake Bunyonyi
Touring the church + school at Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda. – September 2016
The Blue Train, South Africa - The Wanderlust Effect
Aboard the Blue Train from Jo’burg to Cape Town – September 2016
DREAM DESTINATION: Birkenhead House in Hermanus, South Africa
Finding one of our favorite places in the world: the Birkenhead House in Hermanus – Sept 2016
Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Driving to the Cape of Good Hope – September 2016
A Perfect Day in Cape Town - The Wanderlust Effect
Plus, spending a few days in sunny Cape Town. – October 2016
Cape Winelands Experiences, Segway Tour Stellenbosch
A Segway tour wine tasting in Stellenbosch, South Africa – October 2016
Quartier Petit Champlain, Christmas in Quebec City
Celebrating Christmas in Quebec City! – December 2016
Hamilton Estate, Funky Monkey Tours, Nevis
Exploring ruins and history with Funky Monkey Tours in Nevis. – February 2017
Jost Van Dyke, White Bay
Kicking off our BVI trip with two days in Jost Van Dyke – March 2017
Salt Island, British Virgin Islands
Dinghy tour of Salt Island, BVI – March 2017
Cooper Island, British Virgin Islands
Watching the sunset at Cooper Island, BVI – March 2017
Washington, DC
Celebrating my new dual citizenship + a friend’s wedding in DC – May 2017
Chicago Architecture Foundation Tour
An architecture tour in Chicago during Scott’s birthday weekend – May 2017

We’ve unwittingly created a tradition of celebrating on a new island for every anniversary! This year, we’re switching it up and escaping the Caribbean with a trip to Nantucket this weekend. Stay tuned – I can’t wait to share our All American adventure!

Cheers to many more wonderful years of marriage!

Shannon Kircher, The Wanderlust Effect

More about Shannon Kircher

Shannon Kircher is the founder and editor of The Wanderlust Effect. Founded in 2009, she has continued to document her international escapes as an expat in Europe and the Caribbean. Additionally, Shannon is the founder of Compass & Vine, a luxury boutique travel design firm, and is the Director of Marketing for the Frangipani Beach Resort. Shannon holds an MSc in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and is a current candidate for WSET Level 3 in Wines & Spirits.