It's August 27th, and my third wedding anniversary with my husband, Nathan. Three years ago, we spent a glorious and unforgettable weekend at the beach for our wedding, some of the very best days of my life.

When he sent me a large and beautiful vase of flowers today, I walked roughly four blocks through downtown with them on my way somewhere, and was asked repeatedly about them. We got to "how many years?" a few times, and I felt a bizarre need to throw the word "just" in front of "three years", followed by, "but so many, many more to go." To each of the askers, three years was an accomplishment. To me, it seems so brief compared to the almost eleven we've actually been together.

Eleven years. Almost one third of our lives. And it feels that way, in so many wonderful ways. We've been blessed with this--we know each other so well and yet find new things often. Surprising things. We both understand uncertainty and deal with it well (most days). Now we have a house together, new careers, new adventures, old adventures spent in new ways. I find myself continuously excited about what lies ahead for us.

This lasting relationship hasn't been easy, of course. On paper, Nathan and I make little sense. Our backgrounds and interests are so contrasting that the volley of sparks that flew when we first met were both amazing and hilariously confusing. I was homeschooled, he finished his GED so he could get a job and support himself. I grew up in a middle class home, he roamed the country with his mom and then went out on his own. He swore a lot, I didn't. He liked punk music, I liked soundtracks and The Backstreet Boys. He had seen a lot of the world outside my comfort zone and I was newly discovering what travel was like. We had a lot of understanding, talking and laughing to do while we figured each other out.

Under all that, we made a ton of sense. We both had financially supported our mothers due to major medical issues, him starting in his teens, me at 22. We both knew how to fight hard for survival and the things that really mattered to us. We both loved beautiful places, interesting people, walking, long winding roads, amazing food and aimless wandering. And best of all, each other.

I woke up next to him this morning and we both grinned at each other. Three years, we said. Almost eleven. And truly, I love this man more every day. He's such an integral part of me, and together we've made a path I would have never found without him.

Three years. And just the beginning. I love you, Nathan.