Oddbean

On this day, two years ago, I told you, you were mine. Today, I renew that promise. You’re mine, forever woman. They say that women are crazy. You can often double the level of crazy with a Latina. With you, mi Esposita, that doubling occurs again. You’re a wild animal, a force of nature - and I love you for it. You have continued to enrich my life, support my endeavours (however crazy) and challenge me (in every way imaginable), and I look forward to more of this as we begin the next chapter of our lives together. Last year I spoke about the unlikely circumstances under which we met in Costa Rica. Me, an Australian nomad/scamdemic escapee, and you, a Dominican model & aspiring coach trying to set up her own little online business. This year, I’d like to reflect for a moment on the past year and how things have changed, plus a lesson learnt. We’ve now settled into a new country, established a long term routine and begun to build roots. We’ve both found our groove in the relationship. You, as the home-maker, house-wife, cleaner, chef, pilates pro and aspiring momma. Me, as the lunatic in the office, staring at the screen for hours, writing, building and yelling at people on the phone - trying to hustle his way into making a dent in the universe. There’s a lot of trad-wife and trad-husband stuff on socials these days, and I expect most of it is fake. In fact, I know many people who show one side online while in reality it’s completely different. We decided to show nothing online about us (other than the odd anniversary poast like this) but actually live that life for real. For everyone reading, I recommend the latter approach: It’s healthier for the soul (although maybe less so for the bank account & follower count). That being said - if there’s something I’ve learned from marriage - is that it’s not all smooth sailing. Like I said, women are crazy - and men have been trying to understand them since the dawn of time (with little to show for it).. And perhaps therein lies the problem. You don’t necessarily want to be understood, but instead want presence. This is often mentioned theoretically, but takes on a whole new meaning practically. If there’s something you’ve taught me about women (without a single word), it’s this. And it’s made me a better man. You can read all the books & tweets you want, but real life is where rubber meets the road. As Bruce Lee once said: “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” So thankyou for being my wifey, my little sidekick, my clown, my slow cooker, my personal chef, my gym buddy, my home-maker, my personal intuition-device, my little model, and all the other things you are and plan to be (including your 99 personalities). Love you, and I look forward to continuing our journey into wherever this life and this crazy-ass world leads. @paloma https://m.primal.net/KHGA.jpg https://m.primal.net/KHGD.jpg https://m.primal.net/KHGE.jpg https://m.primal.net/KHGG.jpg https://m.primal.net/KHGI.jpg https://m.primal.net/KHGJ.jpg https://m.primal.net/KHGK.jpg https://m.primal.net/KHGL.jpg https://m.primal.net/IQsP.jpg https://m.primal.net/KHGU.jpg