The holes I'm staring at remind me of the first couple of weeks that I lived here.
Zach and I had just gotten settled in from our honeymoon and my only job was to make this place feel like home. My first priority was the walls. The empty, white walls surrounded me and I felt excitement. A giant canvas to create our home. I hung up photos, art, shelves, coffee mugs, lights, posters, tree branches, flags and mirrors. I love for a room to be visually stimulating, where you can walk in and ten things catch your eye. And though it doesn't have a ton of walls, we fell in love with this tiny apartment. It went from a strangers house to the haven we craved to return to.
I'm not able to count the memories that these walls hold. Within them we danced and laughed until we cried. We blew up the air mattress for no reason except to put it in front of the TV and binge watch netflix for an entire weekend. Within these walls we made chili and love. We prayed, celebrated birthdays, holidays and the winner of american idol. We cried over fights, missing people we love and the series finale of HIMYM. This city is a blast and we are going to miss the great friends we have made, that have blessed us so much. In thirty five hours we leave the city that my husband has lived for four years. Tomorrow he will drive onto the air force base for the last time as a United States Airman. It's hard not to break down just typing that, thinking about the sacrifices he has made and the four year journey we have been on throughout our time in the military. He is excited for the next steps in his life, mainly growing a yeard (a year long beard). I am so honored and proud to be the person he chose.
We leave in thirty five hours and it is heavy on my heart to leave the first home I shared with my husband. The moments we shared here are forever ingrained. I sit here now and once again, the white walls surround me. In a way, it hurts to see them so bare again but then I scan our home and can remember specific moments and conversations that filled the space in between these walls. I can see Zach grabbing me and us dancing to my favorite song, I look and remember cooking dinner and laughing with him.
I see the exact place I found out that I'm going to be a mom and where I told me husband he was going to be a dad.
I am so grateful.
I will never forget this place, these walls,
our home.
-haley
