Intro
This post is part of a series entitled, Film Friday. All the images you see here were taken on a Canon EOS ELAN 7E using Kodak Portra 400.
As one of the bench markers testing this relationships longevity, I asked Gabe if he liked The Simpsons shortly after we started “hanging out”. He seemed indifferent. – this was, at the time, a big deal for me as it was nearly an institution in our family. Sundays were not just “Nacho Night” they were “eat-nachos-in-front-of-the-tv-while-watching-The Simpons-night”. To not like The Simpsons was, in a sense, to not like a part of me. Luckily, I’ve changed.
He also didn’t like coffee. Luckily, he’s changed.
This is what happens when you marry young. You know one another before you really know yourself. People warn you to live your life first, to discover who you are before the marriage seed is planted in your mind, and for some, that is probably a wise decision, but we were a different story. We met, hung out for a couple years, I moved to Italy for 6 months, and then I realized I would be crazy not to spend the rest of my life with this guy. This “Mexican with a beard”, (which is how I first described him to my parents when telling them of my crush) who wore two button-up shirts at one time, carved his beard into the most creative forms imaginable, played the bass (hot), and loved me in a way that I never thought possible.
I was 21 when I told Gabe I would spend the rest of my life with him. He was 22. It never felt like a fairy tale, I couldn’t and wouldn’t tell you that Gabe was the only one for me but what I could tell you was that I loved him enough to choose to make this commitment and I vowed to make that choice everyday for the rest of my life. As life has carried us through different seasons of joy and sadness, as life has a way of doing, it becomes more and more clear to me that Gabe is indeed the one for me.
And now he drinks coffee. He also slurps coffee producing an even spray across the tongue in order to best taste his brew. This is not how he always drinks coffee, thank goodness, instead this sort of seemingly rude behavior is reserved for cuppings – a session in which one tastes multiple coffees and then rates and discusses them at great length, marking their sweet, sour, and bitter notes on a scientific wheel while jotting down scribbles such as “shoe leather, fermented blueberries, and tobacco”. He liked that particular cup. I did not.
When we were first married I was just beginning to fall in love with food. He patiently waited as I labored over cake batter tweaking and tasting, baking and re-baking, all the while he just wanted cake. Seven years later I still love food and I still love him even though it takes him a solid twenty minutes to produce one cup of coffee in the morning – you know what? I love him BECAUSE it takes him twenty minutes to skillfully brew his morning cup.
Gabe has grown to appreciate all that goes into a single cup of coffee. He has traveled to Guatemala and met coffee growers. He returned with stunning images and the excitement of a young boy explaining to me the process of turning the red coffee cherry into a green bean ready to roast. And now I watch this man that I’ve known for nearly 11 years as he slurps, spits, and scribbles down notes in his journal that is in existence solely for the purpose of recording coffee flavors and I can’t help but fall in love with him more.
Never would I have imagined that my husband would be schooling me in the subject of coffee nor did he know what he was getting himself into but we made that commitment to love and support one another wherever that takes us. If I can love him in-spite of his undying devotion to nacho-cheese sauce that squirts out of a pump found at sporting events or gas stations then I’m pretty sure I can love him through anything.
This cupping took place at Onyx Coffee which is located in Bellingham, WA. If you are ever in that area you must stop by. Their passion for coffee education is unmatched in the area. They are coffee purists encouraging you to leave the cream and sugar in order to taste the coffee the way the growers and the bean intended it to taste. Stop in for a coffee flight or just to hear Edwin and his crew speak about coffee with such passion and authority.
Previously on Film Friday
I have goosebumps and maybe my eyes just got a little watery. maybe. That is the sweetest most sincere words I have put my eyes on in a long time. You are a wonderful woman and extremely talented. You are blessed with wisdom that not many people can grasp.
Good news! I am headed to Bellingham this morning and will be there for the weekend – Guess where I am going in the morning – really pretty excited to try out Onyx Coffee!
So sweet! Reminds me of us. You’re right–maybe finding yourself first before marriage is good for some. But we found ourselves together. So amazing how we grow and change as individuals, but also as a solid unit. Both of us hated coffee when we married (19 & 21), now, almost 13 years later, can’t imagine a day without it! I’ve gone from not knowing how to boil water, to being obsessed with creating delicious food. So many little things over the years that become part of “us.” Sweet post, and you two have a beautiful thing there. Refreshing to see married people still in love and crazy about one another. Congrats!
I’m loving film Friday, and your writing is just as strong and inspiring as the photos! My husband and I were just reminiscing about when we first met years ago, and how much we’ve changed over time. There is that saying “you don’t really change you just become more you”.
I’m also loving the Film Friday series, and find myself moved (almost) beyond words by your love story. I aspire to capture images and words as beautifully as you. Thanks for the inspiration.
Beautiful photos! And beautiful coffee! So sad I did not visit Onyx while I lived in Vancouver. So sad.
I enjoyed reading every single word. Like you, I married young before even knowing how complicated I was. We just keep liking each other more and more now that we are “growing up”. Funny how it works out. I could see BOTH of us enjoying the coffee tasting.
What a great post in all ways, i married young as well and actually it is our 14year anniversary on Monday, your words i felt hit home.
Also wonderful to know about Onxy, I live in Vancouver and go to Bellingham and Seattle often and never knew there was such a place there, i thought just strip malls. Thanks!!
Ashley- I absolutely love this post, and your film fridays overall! I’m in a wonderful relationship but quite apprehensive about marriage, but your perspective has very much calmed my fears. It’s so nice to see such beautiful marriages between modern day couples, if give me hope!
Awww this is super sweet. I am loving all the writing and the photography!
Film fridays is awesome! Great post.
Dang, missed another FF….. maybe next week. We got too busy getting our dairy goat..
Love your story! sounds a lot like mine and my wife’s… ‘Young Marriage, Long Live” -dutch saying…
I was looking forward to your next F.F. post. And it was another lovely one. Unfortunately the coffee craze hasn’t hit Boston (Dunkin’ Donuts… bleh!) but whenever I visit the West Coast, I always get some good brew.
Love the story about your husband. So sweet.
Hey Brian,
Head over to Barismo. Srsly. http://barismo.com
Beautiful. what a lovely expression of your relationship with your husband, and of his relationship with coffee.
and … I had to laugh because though my husband doesn’t slurp coffee across his tongue (yet) – he didn’t drink coffee before we got together. And now? It’s something we share almost every day.
Gabe! (He’s kinda cute, too.)
Some things are meant to be, and you and Gabe fall into that category. Keep growing together, and I would love to find a coffee tasting, as it’s one of my favorite things! Beautiful post.
You’re so gorgeous! I also thought how much my head would be spinning after that many tastes.
I recently came across your blog and have been enjoying reading it. I wanted to nominate you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Accepting comes with a few rules….
1. Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post.
2. Tell 7 Random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to 7 new found (or old favorite) bloggers.
4. Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you’ve done so, and let the giver of your award know you accept it… or not.
Congrats!
Best,
Koritt
This is beautiful. It’s great to see a man with such a passion for coffee and your relationship is just gorgeous.
These images are stunning.
Oh, yes. Finally, someone that thinks exactly what I think. That we have met each other and he is the one, that there are many other men, but I do love him, even if I’m young, even if I still don’t know what I’ll be doing, even if I’m only 21 and he’s only 22. Good luck to both of you, really, with all my love.
So are you and Gabe going to open your own coffee shop?
I love this. So beautiful and true!
Ah! Honest love over here! fallen in Love with coffee once again (i mean the Luv in my life, where we love calling those moments coffee to night ha?) , & the way u have described it, is cute! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I really enjoy your posts! My husband and I moved to Seattle 6 years ago; just after our one-year anniversary. We, too, married young – and he actually thwarted my after-college move to Italy! Having been in each other’s lives now for 14 years, we now have two beautiful kids under 3; and I am figuring out how to juggle a busy family, church, and (fairly new) blogging life! Your site inspires me. Thank you!