{"id":2480,"date":"2016-07-14T19:03:07","date_gmt":"2016-07-14T19:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nextstopadventure.com\/?p=2480"},"modified":"2017-11-13T23:43:07","modified_gmt":"2017-11-13T23:43:07","slug":"3-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextstopadventure.com\/index.php\/2016\/07\/14\/3-months\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Months into Marriage [Newlywed 101]"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I realized it\u2019s been 3 months into our marriage<\/a> already (July 2), I had a couple thoughts:<\/p>\n

1) Is it really July!?
\n2) Not much has changed since the wedding.
\n3) So far, so good… Let\u2019s keep it up, team!<\/p>\n

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When Brighton and I got back from our mini-moon<\/a>, people kept asking us how married life was. My reply every time was \u201cWell, not much has changed except my name and our bank account.\u201d While that\u2019s mostly true, I do feel a shift towards us becoming a unit, recognizable by our families, friends, and the government. Before we tied the knot, I discussed what getting married means to me<\/a>, and shortly after, I discussed changing my last name<\/a>. I really feel that changing my last name to share his has made me feel like more of a \u201cfamily\u201d than we had previously. Of course, it\u2019s no requirement to share a last name to feel this way, this is just my personal experience.<\/p>\n

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Sometimes I don\u2019t recognize my own name.<\/em> Yes, really. My mom said that when she got married, she remembers feeling a little confused at first, but she said that she got to a point where her name had been her married name longer than she\u2019d had her maiden name. This thought resonated with me. She was young when she got married to my dad, and I am only a little older than she was when she married.<\/p>\n

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When I started at the job that I discussed here<\/a>, I used my new name. Nobody knew me by my maiden name. It was odd. Not bad or good, just weird for me. As I start this new photography endeavor, I am using my married name. Which reminds of me a little of my first tastes of coffee\u2026 Slightly unfamiliar, but comforting. Now I really enjoy coffee<\/a>, and I\u2019m sure time teach my tongue to say the right last name 100% of the time, unlike now when I stutter at what I say to a store clerk.<\/p>\n

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Other than my small identity crisis, life is good. I’m all about taking risks<\/a> to find my career path, which is going well so far.<\/p>\n

Brighton is being supportive as ever, holding down the fort so I can pursue photography<\/a>. I am in the process of going through all the legal and tax requirements of starting a business, and it\u2019s a work in progress. More on that in a separate post coming soon! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m excited to tackle the world with Brighton, one national park at a time, as a team. I\u2019m excited because we\u2019re paying off our debts, and getting to a point where we can buy a house together whether that be in SLC or somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. I\u2019m excited that our journey together is just starting.<\/p>\n

Simple Things I Love Right Now:<\/strong><\/p>\n