A Trip Down Memory Lane: Our 2019 Recap
2019 was one hell of a year. We had some really tough and painful moments that tested our resilience. We also had some amazing moments that have been stored as some of our favorite memories thus far. So, here’s a recap of our 2019 with some of our best memories!
January: We started off the year feeling pretty raw from losing some of our closest friends that we usually did Christmas with. To boot, it was also the year we spent our first holiday season without our families. It felt like a double whammy, and we were going through it. Ringing in the New Year wasn’t full of too much joy, but we tried pushing through for our little man.
We decided to invest our energy in the ones who were still a part of our lives, and invited a large group of old and new friends to join us at Bar Vasquez for Baltimore Restaurant Week. This Argentinean restaurant, located in Fells Point, was beautifully decorated, offered live flamenco, and served some of the best food in the city. It was hard saying goodbye since we were all having such a great time! We decided that restaurant week must become a yearly friend tradition.
March: March 8, 2019 will forever be one of the most special days for us. It was a day where we spoke our truth to everyone, and shared who we are as a family. The way it came about is actually kind of funny. I had been feeling a tug from the universe to step out and speak my truth. When I shared this with Katie and Louie the night before, they didn’t feel ready to do it yet, but they also felt it would be okay if I did it. Coincidentally, Katie was interviewed on a podcast that was due to be released on the same day I wanted to come out. She shared her story on it, which naturally included our story. It never dawned on her that the universe was already setting her on the same route as me. When she realized it, she felt led to personally come out on her social media using the Podcast feature. We all felt peace and made the decision to come out that next day. It was truly one of the things we as a family are most proud of. We were bold and courageous. Shame and fear no longer had power.
April: April was a month full of travels! Katie traveled to Chicago to join the Glocal band of the ELCA. She got to sing, play music and connect with so many incredibly talented people. She got to spend one night in Wicker Park, dined at Violet Hour with a gal pal and stayed at the Roby Hotel. She said there was live music all around too. The whole fam has to make it out there to see what all the fuss is about, chi-town!
Later that month Katie traveled to Puerto Rico for work, and luckily we were able to join her and make it a family vacation. Puerto Rico’s food, scenery, culture and people are so beautiful. We indulged in delicious foods, admired the colorful architecture, visited Castillo San Felipe del Morro, soaked up tons of Vitamin D in Culebra, earned official unofficial bartender certification at the Bacardi Factory, and had so much fun listening to the live Salsa band at La Factoria. Incredible, incredible, incredible! This is a place we MUST return to since we didn’t get to cross everything off our list of things to do there.
June: We put some Pride gear on, and attended our first ever Pride event. Neither of us had ever thought of going to one, but this year we wanted to do it since we were officially out to everyone! Guys, it was crazy packed, but it was so awesome seeing our LGBTQ community represented. We had some toddler potty problems, and decided to leave. As we were walking, we see a herd of people running away from a reported gunman. That was definitely our sign to get the hell out of there and trek back home.
Later that month, we had the honor and pleasure of traveling to St. Thomas to witness our two friends get married. We were honored to be a part of the wedding party! The outdoor ceremony was intimately beautiful, and we all danced the night away at the reception. We rented a beautiful home by the water, relaxed to the max, went snorkeling, visited a few beaches, and grilled by the poolside after swimming all day. It was the perfect start to our summer to say the least!
July: An epic opportunity came our way when a British production company asked us to share our story. We spent the entire day getting filmed, and although it felt unusual being followed around with a camera, it was fun getting to show you all what a day in our life looks like!
Lukas turned 4 at the end of the month. Seriously, where does time go?! I swear he was just learning to crawl last week. Anyways, we gave our Lukas an epic pool party at our Merritt Club’s rooftop pool. There was an abundance of chips, corndogs and smiles everywhere! We ended the night having dinner with all his tias and tios (aunts and uncles). All I can say is our Lukas is so loved- we are proud to be his mamas and dad.
August: Katie traveled to El Salvador for work. She was asked to document the 35th anniversary of the Lutheran Church in El Salvador. She learned so much about them, and was awed at how many women from older generations are beginning to stand up for progressive female rights.
September: After lots of travel, work and life, we planned a triad mini getaway and traveled to NYC for a weekend. You can read all about our weekend in the city, here. In short, it was an amazing weekend full of food, triad time, laughter, and friends!
October: I swear Katie is going to be a world traveler because she traveled yet again, and this time it was to her motherland, Honduras! Although she went for work, she had the opportunity to visit her family after so many years. This trip was one of healing for her, and even though we missed her tremendously, we knew this trip was a divine appointment. She came back with her heart full of gratitude for the chance to reconnect with her siblings.
December: Both Katie and Louie are December babies, so there was lots of celebration! We kicked off Louie’s birthday with a birthday pie at midnight, brunched away at Artifact Coffee, watched Ford v. Ferrari, and had dinner with some friends at a local TexMex spot. Katie’s birthday weekend began with a beautiful rendition of the birthday song sang by Louie and me, we girls got pedis, ate brunch at a local diner, we invited a few friends over for a dinner party, went on a Star Wars movie date, and tried a new restaurant in the city. Both birthdays were a complete success!
2019 was one for the books. It was a year of growth in more ways than one. We’ve learned that freedom is attainable, and it’s not a far-fetched concept. It takes boldness to be transparent. Will there be pain? Yes. Now that we have our freedom, what will we do with it? We’re taking everything we learned, and using it to propel us even farther. We are gonna’ dream and imagine more than we ever did before. 2020, we’re so ready for you. As always, thanks for reading!
Xo,
Raq
Photography: Kap2ure Creative Co.
