Dear whoever you might be

Listen.

To the man who I will someday spend my life with:

I promise that you will never sit still again.

You will be pulled along with me on every day trip and road trip, and I will always have a new travel destination at the top of my bucket list.

I will drive you crazy with my inexhaustible need to get that perfect photo and see that perfect sunset, and I'll talk to you constantly about my travels and my friends in faraway places.

I will drag you to museums and art galleries and bookstores and antique shops.

I'll ask you to build forts with me and have sleepovers in them, when you'd rather sleep in our bed.

There will hardly be a day of our life undocumented. I will probably take more photos of your face in one month than you've had taken in your whole life.

I'll make you watch sad indie films with me and then talk all the way through them (or fall sleep).

I'll bore you with talking about Renaissance artists and contemporary artists and photographers whose work has influenced my own.

I'll probably burn at least half of every meal I ever make, and I can't promise my cooking will ever be Pinterest approved.

I will sing at the top of my lungs when we go driving, I will dance in the grocery store aisles, and I'll quote movies and TV shows at every given opportunity.

I'll change the station immediately if you even think about listening to country music. I'm sorry.

(I'm not sorry.)

I might not always come to you when I'm having a bad day, but you'll know I need to be left alone when you hear the bath water running and Sufjan playing.

I'm not going to promise to be perfect, so I hope you don't ever expect that from me.

But I do promise you this: I will try my best to make you happy.

(I'll also make you frustrated and upset and every other emotion in between, but I promise I will make up for those times when I need to.)

I'll stick "love you notes" all over the house and bring you little surprises and plan adventures with you.

I'll let you talk about all the things you're passionate about, and I'll let you teach me things that you're better at than me.

I will document as much of our time together as you'll let me, but I promise to put down the camera sometimes and simply enjoy the view.

I'll pray with you. And for you.

I'll be the best mother I can be, when the time comes for little ones in our life.

I will make you laugh when you need it and I'll hold you as tight as I can when you hurt.

I promise to love you with my whole heart.

I will do everything in my power to make our life memorable, because I want to remember every moment.

I will make our life beautiful.

Promise.