Happy one year anniversary!

The first two weeks spent getting to know you made me quickly realise you were just what I needed. When we finally met at Hampstead Heath, I loved our never-ending random conversations paired with your admirable humour. As we sipped our wine, played our poker, and got into the blanket, it didn't take long for our thoughts of each other to materialise into our heartwarming, adorable shows of affection. The walk back from the park in Virginia Water was something straight out of a movie, with each kiss becoming more irresistible than the last. I had never previously experienced anything like our first dates. Very few couples can say their first date was poker & wine in a park 2 hours away, and nothing proved our compatibility more than that.

Despite me being mid-exam-season, the end of May finally indicated the end of our 50-day wait. Seeing you again felt incredible, and through the slow increase of romantic undertones in our texts, we channeled our inner desire to commit to each other in these few vital days. I remember the pure joy felt writing that first letter to you, knowing I'll finally get to tell you "I love you" (at the right time!). Introducing each other to our families and living spaces was a significant step into getting to actually know each other. In both scenarios, I held my pride being your newly-found boyfriend.

Summer posed to us a challenge larger than any previous one before - three months of our relationship being strictly confined to calls and texts. We faced uncertainty of where our new life paths will take our relationship, yet our hours spent FaceTiming maintained my optimism of experiencing a future with you in it. I greatly anticipated your return everyday, often checking the countdown widget and watching the number slowly going down. With us going through our individual holiday experiences, I knew without a doubt you were worth waiting any amount of time for.

Words could never describe how it felt to actually see you again. Your dedication to shortening our wait by enduring two layovers had proven to me how special our relationship truly was. The countdown which haunted us now became a distant memory. We finally took part in the things we were looking forward to, like your touring of the Barbican and our revisit of Hampstead Heath. Sending more than a day with you was immensely relieving, with us now actually taking part in experiences together. Our love for each other was undeniably confirmed, and stronger than it had ever been. Being with you put me at ease, and no longer did a part of me feel missing. With that, we embarked on our new life paths, starting a journey that no longer saw us separated by a continent, but by the working week.

We gradually settled into our new routine of sharing time every weekend, exploring the city's offerings together. Our connection had deepened, and our lives were feeling increasingly intertwined with each visit. Your room had practically become a second home, creating unforgettable memories from our nights of karaoke, baking and drinking, not only for us, but also for Lucy (for different reasons). A distinct comfort surrounds all those shared moments, with us simultaneously affirming the university couple stereotypes, and channeling our inner old married couple. This did truly solidify the peace I felt following your return. I continued realising and fostering my deep appreciation for who you are as a person, and not just blindly following the pleasures of your mere presence.

As we broadened our horizons from our beloved weekend Oxford visits, we partook in a shared appreciation for the new situations we found ourselves in as we reached the six-month mark. At last, we attended the long-awaited concerts we planned to go to (sorry for adding the concert video!), much appreciated in a relationship where music was what brought us together. Our first proper trips, from Bicester to Bath, coupled with our infamous hotel experience and much-needed joint relaxation at the thermal spa, felt momentous to our evolution together. Experiences I had dreamt of during the summer had been coming into fruition, with the person I continue to love more and more beside me to actually carry them out. With all the continued shenanigans ever-increasingly more fun (to us, not Lucy), I felt enormous pride knowing you would forever be cemented into the future memories I was making.

With December came your much-anticipated eighteenth birthday, and celebrating that together felt truly special. Having the winter holiday together was lovely, seeing you incorporated into the household and sharing different traditions allowed you to connect to other aspects of my life on a more profound level, alongside going to your first rave (sorry for the reminder). We also definitely embraced the festive spirit, exploring Christmas markets, taking our first rollercoasters together at Winter Wonderland, and going ice skating (although most of it was you trying to keep me from falling...). This month as a whole really let the warmth of our moments flourish, and it incorporated some of our cutest moments.

Then January arrived, which brought with it the most incredible birthday experience I could have ever wished for. Your thoughtfulness into planning it all out had paid off, being the first birthday I will genuinely cherish forever. Visiting Paris with you as my tour guide was amazing, and the whole experience was made even cuter staying with your family and seeing everyone's involvement into that weekend (especially the carrot cake). I truly loved every single gift you gave me, and I immediately recognised the immense through and effort put into each and every one. It all reflected how much you care about me in such a positive light. I frequently think back to my birthday, and thinking about how much you did makes me feel so appreciated, and I am forever grateful not only for what you did, but for having you as my dear girlfriend.

We spent our first Valentine's Day together, a perfect opportunity to surprise you with going to the zoo and the Georgian restaurant, and singing our hearts out at the karaoke place. We also finally carried out the flight simulator experience from my birthday, which my inner child absolutely loved finally experiencing. We continued doing what we knew best, and made the day a hiking opportunity. It's adventures like these that are so comfortable thinking back on, and they all really deepen our assimilation with old married couples.

We continued our international adventures as we took our first flight together to Albania, not knowing what to expect from the country. The nights in the Airbnb felt like a teaser to our future life where we can live together. The holiday as a whole felt like it embodied all of our relationship's quirks so well. Whilst Albania itself was underwhelming and an unconventional choice, the trip couldn't have been further with it and I attribute that all to our overpowering chemistry. We made every second of it worth remembering, especially with our seed-eating on the balcony and watching Kitchen Nightmares whilst sipping on our Limoncello. Finishing off the month, I finally got to take you to Thorpe Park, for which I tried to create the best possible day for us. Experiencing the thrill of every ride together with you was amazing, and it'll be a day I'll never forget.

This month comes back around to the main point of all of this, a subtle reminder of what truly matters. Spending quality time with you will always be more than enough for me. No matter the event, big or small, the thing that shines out in us is our unique, complementing personalities. The honeymoon phase never applied to us, rather if anything, it seems we will never escape it (knock on wood 😉). It's the simple days we have that really shows the strength of our relationship most, just living life together on our silly side missions, and I think that's the most heartwarming thing.