For our 20th anniversary, Scott and I headed north and checked something off my Minnesota bucket list: staying in a cozy cabin along the Gunflint Trail. And it was pretty much everything I hoped it would be.
We hiked the Magnetic Rock Trail, where the destination is a massive magnetic rock left behind by glaciers. We made our way up Honeymoon Bluff, which seemed especially appropriate for an anniversary weekend. There was fall scenery, hiking, exploring, cabin time and, most importantly, time together.
Somewhere during that weekend, I started thinking about how easy it is to celebrate an anniversary with one dinner, one trip or one weekend; and then move right back into everyday life. But twenty years deserves more than one weekend.
And that’s when the idea hit me: What if we celebrated 20 years with 20 dates?
So, of course, I decided we needed a list. If you know me, you know I love a list. I love making them. I love checking things off them. And I especially love a list that involves travel or exploring someplace new.
That’s how 20 Dates for 20 Years was born.
The Challenge: 20 Dates over the Next Year
The rules are pretty simple. Twenty dates. One year. They don’t have to be fancy. In fact, I don’t want them to be. Some might be big adventures. Some might be dinner at a restaurant we’ve always wanted to try. Some could be a day trip, a concert, a hike, or a sporting event.
After twenty years, I don’t think celebrating marriage is really about creating twenty perfect, romantic moments. Because regular life is busy. There are jobs. Kids. Soccer. Archery. Church. Volunteering. Appointments. House projects. Grocery shopping. Laundry (so much laundry). Calendars. It’s surprisingly easy to forget to actually date the person you’re married to.
So that’s what we’re going to do.
The List
Here’s where things get especially fun for me. I get to make THE LIST. I already know I want a mix of things on it; Minnesota adventures, restaurants, day trips, experiences, seasonal activities, and probably a few things we’ve never tried before. I don’t want to plan all 20 right away, though. We’re going to see where the year takes us. We’ll add ideas as we find them and probably make a few spontaneous decisions along the way. And because I love documenting an adventure almost as much as I love planning one, I’m going to keep track of all 20 here.
Our 20 Dates for 20 Years
Date #1: hiking and breakfast
Date #2: Weisman Art Museum
Date #3: Dinner Date: Salt and Flour
Date #4: Holiday Lights
Date #5: Line Dancing at Big Guys BBQ
Date #6: TBD
Date #7: TBD
Date #8: TBD
Date #9: TBD
Date #10: TBD
Date #11: TBD
Date #12: TBD
Date #13: TBD
Date #14: TBD
Date #15: TBD
Date #16: TBD
Date #17: TBD
Date #18: TBD
Date #19: TBD
Date #20: TBD
Uff, twenty dates feels like a lot right now.
Date #1: hiking and breakfast
For the past five weeks, we’ve spent nearly every weekend working on building a backyard storage shed. And while I’m excited to have the shed finished, spending weekend after weekend on a construction project hasn’t exactly left much time for fun. Between work, kids, activities, and everything else that fills our calendars, it’s easy to let another weekend slip by without doing anything just for us.
So imagine my surprise when Scott announced that he had plans for Sunday morning. We were going hiking at Lake Carlos State Park, followed by breakfast at Traveler’s Inn. Wait. What?
Scott planned a date? On his own? And it involved hiking AND breakfast?
I was genuinely surprised. Not because Scott isn’t thoughtful, but because I wasn’t entirely convinced he’d embrace my somewhat silly idea of intentionally going on 20 dates over the next year. Apparently, he’s all in. Our first date wasn’t anything elaborate. We headed to Lake Carlos State Park for a fall hike and then stopped at Traveler’s Inn for breakfast. A little fresh air, some time outdoors, good food, and a few hours together.
The shed isn’t finished. The to-do list isn’t getting any shorter. And I’m pretty sure next weekend will bring another round of projects and responsibilities. But today, we made etime for something fun. It felt really good. And the best part of today’s adventure? I didn’t plan a single thing. For someone who loves planning adventures almost as much as actually going on them, that might be the biggest surprise of all.
One Down, Nineteen to Go!
Come Along for the Adventure
This is really a celebration of our twenty years together, but I also think it’s going to be a pretty fun to carve out specific time for just us.
So, come along with us. I’ll share the dates, the adventures, and what we loved plus what we would skip if given the chance again.
Happy adventuring, Rochelle