Ashes in the Light

Before I go into the last couple of entries about Istanbul, I thought I’d take a little detour and talk about something that happened after we came home.

Our first wedding anniversary.

It still feels strange saying that out loud sometimes. One year. Three hundred and sixty-five days since we stood in front of our family and friends and said, “I do.”

To celebrate the occasion, my husband and I went for dinner at Food Capital.

Now, Food Capital is a buffet restaurant, and if you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know that food is usually a pretty good way to make me happy. 😂

But this dinner felt special for another reason.

Food Capital is located at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, which was also where we spent our wedding night a year ago. Returning to the same hotel brought back memories I didn’t expect to think about again so vividly.

Walking through the lobby felt familiar.

The lifts.
The corridors.
The little details that you don’t think you’ll remember until you’re standing there again.

A year has passed since then.

In between, there were work deadlines, travel plans, home-cooked meals, difficult days, happy days, and countless ordinary moments that slowly became part of married life.

Nothing dramatic.

Just life.

And maybe that’s what makes anniversaries meaningful.

Not because of grand celebrations, but because they remind you of all the days in between.

The food was good, the company was better, and for a few hours, it felt nice to simply pause and celebrate how far we’ve come together.

A year ago, we were newlyweds figuring things out.

Today, we’re still figuring things out.

Just with a little more confidence, a little more understanding, and a lot more shared memories.

And before we continue our journey through Istanbul and eventually make our way to Georgia, I thought this little milestone deserved its own page here too.

After all, some journeys happen overseas.

And some happen quietly, one day at a time.

P.S. If you’re still following along on this travel series, thank you. I still have a few more Istanbul stories to tell before we cross the into Georgia — and I think some of my favourite memories are still waiting to be written.