Anniversary Trip: Santa Cruz, Monterey, & Big Sur

Matt and I have never make a huge deal over our marriage anniversary. We tend to keep it simple and don’t really buy each other gifts for special occasions. Since moving to California though, our “gifts” to each other have started to become little weekend trips. It has been so special to share experiences traveling together and take in how ridiculously beautiful this state is.

For our 6 year anniversary (crazy, right?!) we made plans to drive down the Pacific Coast highway from San Francisco to Big Sur. We have been meaning to take this trip for the last couple years but due to some road closures before our last attempt, we had to wait for the right opportunity. We ditched the workweek early and headed out on Thursday morning, stopping in Santa Cruz so I could catch a few waves in town. Surfing has become a big part of life for me this year; it helps me find so much clarity and joy! The sun peaked its way out and provided the perfect afternoon to get in the water.

After a quick surf session, we headed down to Monterey to explore and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium (another California bucket list item for us). We spent half the day on Friday at the aquarium - one of the best I have ever been to! I loved how proactive they were about educating visitors on protecting our environment and making sustainable choices, something both Matt and I are very passionate about.

We headed out on Friday afternoon for Big Sur to camp at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. You guys, this campsite was incredible! It was one of two eco-sites (basically backpacking, no running water) overlooking the coast, completely secluded from the other side of the park. One of the difficult things about camping in California is the spots are very difficult to reserve. Matt had to book our site six months ago, right when reserving opened for our dates. When it comes to finding campsites, my man is the expert. It was by far the most beautiful site we have camped at and we felt very fortunate to have it!

Our weekend was a perfect way to celebrate the last six years of marriage. We reflected on how much we have been through together, and how we have felt God’s hand over our marriage. We talked about our dreams and vision for our future together. By no means are we experts at this marriage thing, but we both are in agreement that we will choose to love each other every day.

So cheers to us! Six years down, forever to go!