Holidays 2001
Happy New Year and (a late) Happy Holidays to everybody from our first joint Holiday greetings! 2001 can definitely be characterized as the “Year of Change” for us – and such wonderful change it has been. We hope you enjoy a quick look at what we have been up to in the past year as we would like to share our adventures and stories with you.
Change #1: Marital Status… to be!
After months of meticulous secret planning, our storybook engagement took place on February 14th and we have been celebrating ever since. As most of you know, Stenning surprised Heather with a trip to Paris and a promise to continue to make her the happiest woman in the world… as his wife! The wedding planning has been going extremely well as both families have been sharing in the upcoming nuptials. And yes, Stenning has been playing an integral role, but you can give him a hard time anyway. For the latest updates, check out our wedding website for all the details.
Change #2: Life Abroad
A true test of our relationship started on June 1st as we boarded a plane together for a two-month Asia trip. Armed only with backpacks and hiking boots, we set off to uncover the wonder that this culture could bestow. We attempted to learn the basic languages wherever we went, tasted the local cuisine, interacted with the locals and saw some amazing sights. We visited Laos then relaxed in Koh Samui before our month-long travels through China. We mastered the art of chopsticks, but desperately missed some of life’s luxuries… refrigeration, pasteurization, air conditioning, etc. The Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors, and touring local villages were remarkable. Our final stop through Japan included climbing Mt. Fuji overnight. Only a few days after returning to the States we were on the road across America . Our 17-day drive west in our new car (another change and a first!) took us to places such as Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, and Mt Rainier. We broke in our camping equipment for several nights, and naturally Stenning dazzled Heather with his Scouting skills, forgetting Heather was already committed. J Crossing over a fogged-covered Golden Gatebridge, the sky quickly cleared up as we drove to our new home… Palo Alto, California!
Change #3: Employment status
Non-existent. Stenning decided to hang up his suit and shiny shoes for a comfortable sweatshirt and jeans to attend Stanford’s MBA program. Although the attire became more relaxed, the amount of work and concentration only seemed to increase as the first quarter was crammed with Econ, Accounting and other fascinating homework that kept him up past 2am consistently. But true to Stenning’s nature, he made time for the important things in life as he balanced school with making lifelong friends, volunteering, and of course, spending time with Heather. Heather, on the other hand, joined the “Ladies of Leisure” club upon our arrival to Stanford. Sleeping in, a late morning workout, lunch with the girls and maybe an afternoon golf game consumed her days while she also spent time job searching. After a countless number of searches, Heather happily accepted an offer at the San Jose Repertory Theatre. Compared closely to the Goodman Theater in Chicago, she will be in charge of event planning and assisting in fundraising and planning.
Change #4: Living in the Sunshine State
Having both been born, raised, schooled, lived and worked in Illinois, we were anxious to call a new place “home” and explore all that the Bay Area has to offer. As you can imagine, Stenning’s recent experience has been limited to the Stanford campus since the first quarter was all-consuming. Our goal is to plan more adventures this year to Yosemite, Big Sur, Sausalito and more to truly get as much of the California experience as possible. However, we have already met some amazing people that we know we will have as friends for life. We have managed to get up to San Francisco and spend time with close friends and Heather will also start taking Spanish lessons in January. We’re having a great time out here and happily extend an invitation to visit our “cozy” little apartment.
You can contact us via email (stenning@schueppert.net and heather@schueppert.net), telephone 650-497-3599 or the web (www.schueppert.net) – our personal page that we’ve been working on updating more often and now has our engagement story, wedding details, and over 900 favorite photos from the past.
Carpe Diem and Happy New Year,
Heather and Stenning
