| My wife and I have been married for over seven
and a half years now. We have enjoyed the total feeling of ease when
we are together. However, our marriage did not start out this way.
When thinking back to March of 1985, I remember the feelings of anticipation
and fear of what the future may hold in store.
I was stationed in southern Germany with the U.S. Army, and I had been told by others that the local travel agent could arrange a package deal that would allow my betrothed and I to be married in a very short amount of time by going to Denmark, which had very liberal laws concerning marriage. The package consisted of round trip transportation via the railroad, accommodations for five nights, and the marriage ceremony itself. My fiancee arrived at the Munich International Airport. I had come early to avoid any unforeseen problems. Traveling to Munich with me was a good friend, Mark. Due to the strict security precautions taken by the airport, we were not allowed at the gate where the passengers disembarked, nor were we permitted into the luggage retrieval area. We were forced to wait as patiently as possible in the outer concourse. My fiancee, Roberta, could be seen through the large plexiglass windows near the baggage carrousels. She was frantically searching for her suitcase. Mark and I looked on for nearly forty-five minutes, helpless, as she searched through the bags. As my blood pressure was steadily rising in anticipation, she finally made her way through the double doors leading to the outer concourse. As she walked toward me, I could see she was equally as nervous as I. It was also evident that she was both tired from the flight and upset. "They lost my luggage," she said dejectedly. "The one time they lose my luggage is when I have my wedding dress in it! Oh Mike, I had picked it out special," she add sorrowfully. I hugged her, and she placed her head on my shoulder. "It's alright, babe. We can pick-up something when we get to Denmark," I stated as soothingly as possible. The trip to the Munich train station was relatively quiet. I am sure that Roberta and I were thinking the same thing..."I hope the lost luggage was not an omen." In approximately forty-five minutes, we were in the town which I had lived for the past year, Augsburg. Here was the place where we would say good-bye to my friend, Mark. Because it seemed like a closer step to marriage, I had a feeling of regret when we boarded the next train and waved to Mark as we pulled away. This feeling soon passed upon entering the sleeper car and taking advantage of the eight hours it would take to reach Hamburg to get reacquainted. We pulled into the Hamburg railway station early the next morning. I had never been to northern Germany, and I found it difficult to understand the dialect of the locals. This was very effective in squelching any idea I had in showing off the linguistic abilities I had obtained over the past year. We had soon found ourselves seated in a small first class cabin with four other people making our way to Denmark. A couple of hours later, the train stopped at the border. The calmness I had managed to achieve immediately left me when the conductor entered our cabin, closely followed by an armed guard. Thankfully, the checking of our passports was brief. We arrived in the city of Svenborg, Denmark, in the late afternoon. Since everything was prearranged, checking into the hotel was uneventful. The first thing we noticed about the room was the bed. Upon inspection, we discovered that it was actually two beds, each slightly larger than a twin, that had been pushed together to form one large bed. Although this is a common practice in Europe, this only added to the already growing feeling of being in a strange place, waiting to take the biggest step in our lives. The next morning, Monday, we registered at the town hall. We then set off to sample the local shops and restaurants. Between shopping and eating, we were able to put the nervousness aside temporarily. We both purchased new outfits in which to be married. This helped Roberta to get over leaving Munich without her luggage. Thursday, wedding day, seemed to come all to quickly. I was extremely nervous as we climbed the steps of the town hall. Half jokingly, I found myself humming "The Funeral March." This got me a quick jab in the ribs by my bride. The strangeness continued as we found ourselves in a large official looking room with eight other couples. I was grateful for the speed at which all nine couples were married, one after another.We spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening drinking Danish beer, eating hot dogs, and discussing the future. In my experience, there could be no better wedding reception. By this time, we were both relieved and looking forward to our life together. Through it all, we endured the nervousness, the anxiety, and the fear of the future. We can now look back on it and laugh at the way we felt, for we have since come to the realization that we were meant to be together as husband and wife. This is partly due to our frame of mind. We go into each new situation, knowing that we can tackle anything (no matter how strange). Our unusual trek to marriage is proof enough. |
| Sadie: The Eternal Puppy | The Time Traveler |
| My Family Vacation | The Marriage |
Now take me home
daddy!