Down Memory Lane

This weekend, Nate and I took a drive back to our old stomping grounds in NE Portland to take a walk.    This walk wasn’t just any old walk.  This walk had significance and meaning.  This walk was sentimental and loving.  This walk drew us closer together.

All through the months we were dating, Nate and I would often head to the Laurelhurst neighborhood, not too far from school, to walk.  Now, this is a very ritzy neighborhood.  We’ll probably never be able to afford the tax of any of the houses, let alone the houses themselves.  This didn’t deter us from dreaming, though.  As we’d walk, hand in hand, we learned so much about one another.  The first few months, we learned what color houses we each liked, what architecture we each wanted in a future home, which house in the neighborhood was each of our favorites, and Nate learned about my deep love of porch swings.  As the months passed, these walks became less and less about us as individuals and more and more about us as a couple.  The talks changed from what each of us wanted in a home to what we, together, wanted in a home.  We stopped talking about which house we separately would choose to live in and began deciding which house we would want to raise our family in.  This led us to begin discussing how we want to raise our future kids.  We talked about our priorities regarding ministry and family.  And of course, we still talked about my love of porch swings.

The walks at Laurelhurst caused Nate and me to fall more deeply and totally in love with one another.

This weekend, as we walked, we reminisced on how far we’ve come since those days.  We talked about the changes that have occurred in our dreams, goals, and aspirations.  We talked about how special it was to learn to love and trust one another in such a beautiful place.  And, of course, we talked about how badly I want a home with a porch swing.