Feb 17, 2022
For our 20th wedding anniversary, Dave and I wanted to REALLY celebrate. After all, that many years of marital bliss (and I mean BLISS) is something to be proud of. The previous nineteen had been hit or miss; not the years themselves, but the actual execution of the day.
Of the nineteen prior celebrations, four of them had been spent with me either very pregnant or less than a month postpartum (2003, 2007, 2009, 2012). Our 3rd anniversary was spent with Dave deployed to Iraq. One of our most epic fails was a night away at a bed n’ breakfast. Sounds romantic, right? Well, apparently cold water and food poisoning were the only things on the agenda. Other anniversaries were overshadowed by sleepovers and skating parties as we celebrated what we affectionately call our “birthday season.” Then there was the “mix-up.” I planned an evening filled with dinner, a couple’s massage, and overnight stay. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure She-Hulk was disguised as a masseuse, because my massage was on the painful side of firm to say the least. Within a few hours I was so sore I could barely move. Our dinner ended up being eaten with plastic forks, and in my haste I accidentally booked a hotel with ongoing construction. Nothing like waking up to the loud pounding of a jackhammer on the other side of the wall.
Now, don’t get me wrong, we’ve also had some great anniversaries. Our eighth anniversary was spent in California, hiking Muir Woods and dining on the edge of San Francisco Bay overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. We have enjoyed many candlelit dinners, stayed at local bed n’ breakfasts, and sailed away on Christian marriage cruises (highly recommend) to warm, tropical locations. In fact, to celebrate our 20th, we had originally booked another cruise. But let’s be real…who really wants to go somewhere warm in February? Wouldn’t it be more fun to trade in the swimsuit for snow pants and travel to Alaska at the peak of winter? I’m glad you agree! So that’s exactly what we did!
With our cruise canceled, I started planning our itinerary, but first the essentials: rental car, AirBnB, plane tickets. Check. Now came the fun part…Scenic train ride? Snowmobiling? Ice Fishing? With so many glorious cold weather options, I had a hard time narrowing down how to best spend our time while also allowing for relaxation. After hours upon hours of strategizing and planning, I finalized the ultimate 10-day Alaskan excursion.
Four months later, the big day arrived…and so did a nasty winter storm. St. Louis got hit with freezing rain, sleet, and icy snow. Sitting at the airport, we watched as the runways became coated with sheets of ice, despite the crew’s ongoing efforts to keep them clear. First came a one hour departure delay, then another, and another, followed by a few more. After sitting at the airport the entire day, the flight was eventually canceled and we ended up spending our first night of vacation in a St. Louis hotel. Not exactly the destination I was hoping for. Was our epic anniversary doomed for failure?
The next morning didn’t go any smoother. More hours were spent sitting at the gate. By mid-afternoon we were finally in the air, expecting our worries to be behind us, only to be met by more delays in Seattle. What should have been two short 4-hour flights, turned into a day and a half late arrival to Anchorage. 2 a.m. found us exhausted and travel weary as we checked ourselves into the hotel (which I accidentally reserved and paid for twice). Not wasting any time catching up on some zzzz’s, we quickly passed out, knowing 6 a.m. would come way too early.
Coming up next…Two Tickets For Aurora Winter
The Cunningham Crew 