Real People in Love: Sarah & Matthew

When I announced that I was continuing my "Real People in Love" series I got an email from the adorable Sarah from Auburn Street saying she'd love to participate. I was excited to receive her email because I love following along on Sarah & Matt's little adventures and Sarah's another Midwest blogger and only lives about 2 hours away from us!

How old are you and Matthew?

Matthew is 24, I'm 23.

How long have you been together?

Two years- we've been married for 7 months.

What are your occupations?

I teach babies and toddlers with special needs and Matt is an Americorp worker for the American Red Cross- he works in disaster relief and community outreach.

How did you meet?

I love telling the convoluted story of how we got together. We officially met on the number 50 bus on the first day of our sophomore year in college. It was his first day at the college, and I was (probably) overly friendly. I thought he was super cute and loved that he was outgoing enough to strike up a long conversation, which I told all my roommates about, even though I was in the throes of a long, LONG relationship. We were actually taking the bus back to campus after leaving the same class. Which we sat together in the rest of the semester- then we ended up in the same Spanish class the next semester. Anyways- he introduced me to the girl who would become my best friend (and whose husband is Matt's best friend), and things stayed pretty platonic between Matt and I for the next few years.

Fast forward: I have just broken up with my boyfriend of 3 1/2 years. Through a series of tricky moves on the part of our mutual married best friends, we are put in situations where sparks fly. We hung out at parties, moved on to coffee dates and suddenly, we were head-over-heels in love. The rest is history :).

Define Love:

Love is the mutual growing together in the same direction.

What's the toughest part of being in a committed relationship?

For us, it's finding that balance between what the other person needs and what you need. Compromise can be tough sometimes, especially when you are both head strong and like getting your way!

What is the best part?

Knowing that you don't have to go through life as a one-woman team anymore. Matt is my rock, my shoulder to cry on, and I know I don't have to face anything in life without his help.

What is the best day the two of you have spent together?

I asked Matt this question, and he answered "Every day." When I told him I was serious he said he was too. For me, though, our wedding day definitely ranks up there, although it was made amazing because we got to share our love with so many people.

Also topping the list was a day this past November, when it was warm and sunny, and we took our puppy out to Lake Michigan to climb sand dunes. We laughed and ran and went in the lake and just had fun being together, with the sun on our backs.

What makes you different from other couples?

We both get so much crazy joy out of living, and we love to share it with each other! We are excited about life and passionate about changing the world. We love creating things and building things and rescuing things.

What is the most essential element of making it?

Remembering that even though you see that person every morning, brushing your teeth together can be fun- and not taking the little things you love about him or her for granted. You know? It's so easy to get in a rut and forget all the things that make your love special. It's important to honor those things each day.

What is your favorite thing to do together?

We love backpacking together, going for long walks around town, shopping at the farmer's market and cooking yummy meals! But we also love throwing a good dance party and inviting all our friends, or going out to sing Karaoke all night (we sing a mean "I can be your hero"). I guess we just love to be together.

Do you have a song?

Yes! "Shine On" by Daisy May and Seth Bernard- local folk artists... It was our first dance at the wedding, and something we come back to all the time. It's about inspiring each other and being the light someone else needs to get through the day.

What are your hopes for the future?

Right now, we are dreaming of moving to a larger city where we can ditch our car (I have to drive a ton for work) and Matt can work at a larger, national non-profit or a huge Red Cross. We also want to move so we can learn to really depend on each other in a new place.

Anything else the world needs to know about love?

Love can be work, hard work. But in the end, it is so worth it!