By Kelly Reid, Marketing Intern
How do you think you might react if your significant other handed you a box of latex surgical gloves for Christmas? For most of us, such a gift would probably earn our loved one a night on the couch or, at the very least, some time in the proverbial doghouse.
And yet this is where Peggy found herself on Christmas morning: on the receiving end of a box of latex gloves that her husband Mark had gifted her with for the holidays. More strange goodies followed between Christmas and their anniversary in early January: cotton swabs, a rain poncho, a flashlight, ziplock baggies, Dramamine, bug spray, and more. Luckily for Mark, Peggy realized that the “12 Days of the Anniversary” was going to be a puzzle and that each bizarre gift was part of an elaborate surprise planned for the day of their anniversary. Despite a whole team of coworkers trying to help her guess the surprise, Peggy had no idea what to expect. Even with the help of Google, she was still in the dark.
Finally, the reveal came: Mark had planned a two week volunteer trip with Tropical Adventures at the Osa In-water Sea Turtle project. Each of the daily gifts was an item necessary for the trip, which Mark assembled with the help of some Tropical Adventures correspondence. Peggy, who has been passionate about sea turtles for her entire life, was overwhelmed by excitement and nerves, but luckily there was little to worry about. Mark truly planned it all down to the details. He arranged in advance to have their three chocolate labs cared for by their twenty-two year old son while the couple is in Costa Rica, which he knew would be Peggy’s first concern. Even better, Mark arranged for a professional cleaning service to visit their home the day that they arrive back at the house, since, as Mark puts it, “a 22 year old….Need I say more?” Peggy, you found a keeper!
The couple, which has never been to Costa Rica, will be staying in the Osa peninsula for two weeks in mid-Spring of this year. Mark expects that they both will have a wonderfully close experience with the sea turtles and some peaceful time away from their hectic schedules. “I thought this trip would give Peggy the opportunity to get close to the sea turtles, help important research efforts, and to provide an experience that can be shared with her current and future sixth grade students. For me, I'm just happy being on the water and watching my wife enjoy the experience,” Mark says of his hopes for the trip. Now that is love.
Congratulations on your tenth anniversary, Mark and Peggy!
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