What's Different About You and BTW I Got Married

52 Dreams Accomplished on the Way to Completing 101 Dreams Come True

Number 51 and 52 were checked off my list and what an adventure they were. For the last two weeks I've been traveling from my home town, up through Oregon, with a stop off in Portland for my friend's wedding, then onto Vancouver, up to Whistler, back through Oregon and California along the coastal route with another stop in the Redwood forest. The blog was shut down due to a robot deciding I was a spam blog (too bad I don't even know what that is) and I haven't been able to update my ramblings about my adventures. There is so much to tell and many pictures to share and I will try to do this in an orderly fashion over the next couple of weeks.

Last you heard from me I was headed to Portland to attend my friend Tam's wedding. It was a sweet ceremony where the couple couldn't take their eyes off one another with the intimate love they share evident in their smiles and eyes. I hadn't seen my friend or his close friends and family in almost three years. When I greeted them and shared hugs they stared at me. I heard statements like, "There's something different about you. Did you lose weight? Did you change your hair? You look amazing." I smiled and brushed off the compliments wanting to hear about their lives and how things had been. Throughout the night, the comments continued, "There's just something so different about you. What is it?"

Finally I said, "I'm happy now. I'm going after my dreams, I'm living the life I've always desired."

"But you were happy before. You traveled, had a great relationship, skated, I thought you had the perfect life."

And I had to wonder at the change. They were right, I did travel and skate before this journey, I was in a deeply committed relationship, but I wasn't living out loud and I wasn't happy. It was easy to pretend that I had the perfect life and show that to the world, even when inside I felt like I was dying.  I wasn't falling in love with the world and seeing life from a perspective where dreams were meant to happen. I was living to please others and to keep peace. I was forcing myself to comply. I was settling for less than magnificence.

The next day I got married. It was a beautiful ceremony on the waterfront of Portland. I stood by a white cardboard chapel with Rev. Mart Sepulveda as she rapped and committed me to my journey of completing my 101 Dreams Come True. I said my vows, that no matter how hard, no matter what roadblocks found me, I would continue on this incredible journey of mine. She placed a small pinch ring on my left finger and pronounced me married to myself.

I loved it. What an incredible concept. That marriage isn't just about committing yourself to another person, but making a commitment to the things that matter most in your life.

So now, I can finally ease all those people's minds that worry that this journey and my independence will keep me from ever getting married and being happy. I'm married now to the happiest dream I could ever imagine - a life filled with the greatest decadence and beauty this world can bring.