Year One June 98- June 99When you first meet someone it’s always an exciting time it took over 6 months of talking over the phone and internet before Jacky and I finally went on our first date. Looking back, as exciting as it was year 1 wasn’t easy. I had to keep it a secret from mum because she thought I was too young to date, and Jacky’s mum – well let’s just say that I wasn’t her favourite person. When I think back to this year I remember studying at the State Library, Bailey’s and milk, #Belair, the bracelet and falling in love.
Year Two June 99 – June 00
My year 12 formal, Jacky cutting his hair really short, Schoolies, the Olympics and Brisbane.
This was also the year that the Olympic Games came to Sydney. Mum made the dress that Olivia Newton John wore at the opening ceremony and Jacky and I bought tickets to watch the basketball. Homebush is a part of history and so are we, in the heart of Sydney Olympic Park is a place called Fig Grove where you will see a foot path made of individual red bricks. On these bricks are either the names of the athletes or messages. As a gift, Jacky bought me one of these bricks and cemented in our brick is the message Jacky Loves Emily 4 Eva. If you are ever in Homebush go have a look.
Year Three June 00 – June 01
For our one year anniversary Jacky bought me a gold diamond eternity band, about another year later I dropped the ring into the car’s air conditioning vent – I was devastated and I never expected to see the ring again especially when the car was later sold. It was somewhere in between that Jacky had the car taken apart without my knowledge, he kept it a secret for a long time. On our 3 year anniversary I received a little box and inside was my ring, you can only imagine how happy and how special I felt.
Year Four June 01 – June 02
Work, study, work, study, work! That pretty much summarised our year. At some point we decided that we wanted to travel the world and to do so comfortably we needed no less than $10,000 we gave ourselves 12 months to save. We worked our bums off!! With up to 4 jobs at any one time whilst still studying fulltime.
The job that I remember the most would be working at the Royal Easter Show. Jacky was a runner moving boxes and topping up stands with show bags whilst I worked at the big Candy World stand wearing a M&M jumper selling show bags to screaming kids. The hours were long (7:00am to 10:00pm) with 15 hr days for 2 weeks straight! Jacky would come home all sunburnt and I battled with blisters from standing for so long.
Year Five June 02 – June 03
I’d have to say that this was one of the happiest and most fulfilling period of time in our lives. After a lot of hard work and planning Jacky and I saved enough money to go on our First world trip together. In a 3 month period we went to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, Ottawa, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, China, Bangkok and Pattaya.
Travelling can get stressful especially when we leave our comfort zone to explore the unknown. We were tired, broke and had to carry around 3 months worth of luggage on our backs. This trip really allowed us to test how we interacted as a couple and surprisingly we passed with flying colours.
One of the coolest things happened during our stay in Vegas, the reception lady at the Aladdin Hotel thought that Jacky and I were honeymooners (because we were wearing matching rings at the time) she upgraded our room for the cheapest one to the second most expensive! For uni students who had no money – this felt like some one had just handed us a million dollar cheque, the lady’s name was Jill and her simple act of kindness I will remember for a life time.
Travelling opened our eyes to a whole new world; it was especially rewarding because we worked so hard and long to get there. It was in the middle of Time Square on New Years Eve at the stroke of midnight that I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I stood there and cried and cried and cried (bawling my eyes out for no particular reason); Jacky stood there with me just holding my hand.
Year Six June 03 –June 04
Graduation, full time work and Melbourne for the first time.
Year Seven June 04 – June 05
The year of our second big trip where we were suppose to go to Japan (Tokyo), Hong Kong, China, Bangkok, Malaysia, Phuket. We made it as far as China before the rest of the trip was cancelled due to the Tsunami.
Japan was excellent and by going there we finally fulfilled a life long dream (every Chinese person wants to see Japan at some stage!). Later in the same year we took my family for a driving holiday along Great Ocean Rd. The scenery was stunning and it was very reassuring to see how well Jacky got along with my family.
Reaching year 7 was a great feeling, we had dinner with our friends to celebrate, they even bought us a cake!
Year Eight June 05 – June 06
This has been without doubt the best year for us. Changes have happened very quickly and I think our relationship has reached another level. It’s also been a year of commitment, it’s one thing knowing that we’d probably spend the rest of our lives together but it’s another when you actually take steps to lock it in. We’re ecstatic about our new house and the whole process of building a home (from finding the place to fitting it out) is indescribable. Every hurdle that comes our way we tackle together, my weaknesses are his strengths and together we are an unbeatable force that always accomplishes what we set out to do.
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday and Anniversary.
Love you!
(I couldn't decide what cake to buy you...so I bought you many!)
