The second I knew: the day after our first date, I informed my mom I’d met the person I used to be going to marry

In 1996 I used to be working on the Illawarra Neighborhood Improvement Program in New South Wales educating print-making and establishing a gallery there. One spring day I wandered into the workplace and noticed this tall man in goofy glasses and a inexperienced Laborious Yakka uniform standing behind a desk. I’d by no means seen him earlier than however one thing about him was immediately magnetic to me.

Once I discovered we had been workmates I used to be shocked at how excited I used to be. Though he wasn’t my traditional kind, I used to be drawn to him in a means I hadn’t skilled earlier than. I made some extent of befriending him, nevertheless it wasn’t lengthy earlier than cups of tea within the staffroom weren’t chopping it, so I bit the bullet and requested him out on a date.

This wasn’t my traditional model. Whereas I’m an outgoing particular person, romantically I’d normally gone with the movement – I didn’t pursue folks. However Ulan was totally different. I had this overwhelming sense that I wanted to get near him.

We organized to fulfill on the uni bar in Wollongong. We’d each been college students there a number of years earlier however had by no means crossed paths. I’d simply left a long-term relationship and had moved into an empty home actually that day. After a number of drinks we wound up at my place, sitting by a hearth within the yard.

The dialog flowed simply in direction of life’s large questions: what did we actually need? What was necessary to us? How open had been we to journey? It rapidly turned obvious we had been on the identical web page.

We had been each 28 and shared this fluid idea of what a very good life may and may appear to be. We each agreed we may uproot ourselves at any second and stay wherever. In that on the spot, I may envision a life with him.

I knew I had discovered somebody who matched my vitality and creativeness and was open to something. I referred to as my mom the subsequent day and informed her I’d met the person I used to be going to marry.

Issues developed rapidly and inside a number of months we had been residing collectively. He simply had this wonderful spirit to make issues occur relatively than being overly sensible. With him I felt this sense that something was potential, that we may make no matter life we wished, relatively than doing it by the e book. By autumn 1997 we’d purchased an outdated Volkswagen van for $1,500 and had been setting off collectively for Cape York. I had one other group growth place; Ulan was very happy to return alongside for the journey and located work there himself.

A yr later, on the anniversary of our first date, we had been married on his sister’s property in Mudgee. We had been so starry-eyed we hardly seen what an enormous enterprise we’d thrust upon her and her husband. Every little thing appeared potential to us – nothing was too onerous.

In some regards we’re totally different folks however we complement one another so effectively. Ulan has at all times been so blissful to leap on board with no matter wild scheme we hatched – he’s virtually like my “sure man.”

The previous 26 years have been a rollercoaster of concepts and adventures that we may by no means have pulled off if we didn’t have the dynamic that we do. We share all of the wins and take equal accountability when issues don’t go to plan. We’ve at all times trusted the method and had a substantial amount of respect for one another’s strengths and abilities. Taking dangers and going with the movement doesn’t come simply to everybody, however collectively we’ve at all times been comfy taking one another’s lead and discovering methods to make life occur.