Duncan and I first met in October of 2020. We met at my current workplace, and he was assigned to train me for a few hours – something he obviously hated doing. I’ll never forget the way he rushed through customer transactions in a way that offered me little to no knowledge on how to perform the tasks I needed to learn (this is how I prefer dealing with the public as well.) It wasn’t that he was bad at his job, he just couldn’t be bothered to train the new gal, and quite frankly I don’t blame him for that.
What he did offer was amazing banter from the start, and I immediately felt comfortable with him.
We quickly became friends and for three months at work we would chat when we had the chance, until one day at the end of January 2021 he invited me on a hike with two other guys. The four of us spent about two additional months going on weekly hikes and I lived for these adventures. I was freshly back in the area, had very few friends, and was mourning the loss of my “previous life.”
I was elated to have found a group of pals to go on adventures with so quickly after moving back. Not to mention I already had a ridiculously pathetic school girl crush on Duncan.
Then, one week in March our hiking group wasn’t able to go for a hike – so Duncan and I went alone. From there we hungout a handful of times just the two of us, banter at an all time high, having a good time learning more about each other. After a few weeks of this I knew enough was enough, and we had to have a chat. I could tell something was brewing, so I told him how I felt with no intention of dating him (despite having a crush, I was not at all in the market for a boyfriend, but I learned many years ago to always tell people how I felt.)
Alas, it seemed Duncan had a different idea.
He suggested we try dating, just for a bit to see how it goes. Before I could digest what was happening I said yes. What started as more of a summer fling between two people who were not looking for a relationship, has turned into three years of partnership with someone I love very dearly. While we never know what the future holds, I’m thankful we took that leap three years ago to see what might happen. Duncan has since obtained a much better job where he has been the last two years, but I’ll never let him live down that day of training.
We decided to celebrate three years together by visiting Leavenworth, where we spent our first weekend away together in 2021.
We both took a Thursday and Friday off work and left Thursday morning. It’s about a 3.5 hour drive on a weekday from where I live, and we left with enough time to stop by the grocery store in town before heading to our first of two hikes for the weekend. We hiked this same trail when we visited in 2021, and this is the perfect time of year to see the yellow flowers pop.
The Icicle Ridge Trail is about a 5 minute drive from downtown Leavenworth, making this one of the most convenient hikes in the area if you want to stay downtown.
After this hike we checked into the LOGE, aka the REI of hotels where we stayed last time. What I like about this hotel is that they offer both communal and private bathroom rooms. If I were staying there solo I would opt for the communal bathrooms because it saves about $50 a night. Duncan prefers a private bathroom and I don’t dare tell the working man no.
This isn’t sponsored by the LOGE, but it should be.
I love staying in downtown Leavenworth because I can park my car and not worry about using it again unless I am going out of town. Our second day in the area we did in fact go out of town, and this was the highlight of my year thus far. The bar was pretty low as my year hasn’t been overly exciting, but we drove about 20 minutes out of Leavenworth to the town of Cashmere for one of the most beautiful hikes I have done in a while.
This area of Washington has thick green hills for miles, and often reminded me of another country. From Ireland, to Germany, to Romania – I was enamored by these views. I cannot wait to return and sit amongst these hills. We opted for the Spring Canyon Loop Trail, which was an amazing 8 miles of walking with just over 2000′ of elevation. I could not have asked for a better anniversary hike.
We spent our second evening binge watching Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO and snacking on anything we could. Our third and final day was reserved for wandering downtown Leavenworth before we headed back home. I have been to Leavenworth a handful of times, but I have never walked into the shops. I wanted to spend the afternoon wandering, and that is exactly what we did.
We started our morning with an hour or so walk by the river which is right behind the hotel. Perfect location.
Then we each got a coffee, and I ended up buying some local fudge. From there we walked around most all of the stores before stopping for a sweet treat at The Gingerbread Factory. We walked in and the moment I saw gluten free gingerbread cupcakes I knew I had to buy one. Duncan got a chocolate croissant the size of a newborn foal and we people watched while we ate our baked goods.
I am thankful we went on this trip for a plethora of reasons, but mostly because it helped me to quell my separation anxiety with my cat. This was the first time I have left him for more than one night since May of last year (if you’re a regular round here you’ll know he has had some health struggles.) Deep down I knew he would be fine with my mom, but letting go of control over my child is H-A-R-D.
Duncan has been a huge support with my overwhelm and I’m glad he was able to get away for a weekend too.
Duncan and I were the most unexpected pairing. We have an age gap, we have different hobbies, and we were both happily single. Consistent communication and occasional compromises have brought us this far. Thankfully we both enjoy hiking, and this year he has the bug more than ever before. I look forward to many adventures together, it’s going to be a fun summer.
Q: How did you and your significant other meet? OR if you’re single, how would you WANT to meet your significant other? Also if you’re single, embrace that life – I am blessed to have a fellow introvert for a partner and we spend just as much time apart as we do together. Alone time is so underrated.