Monday, February 2, 2009

I feel too much...and the story of how we met

As I was watching The Bachelor, I felt a horrible pang of homesickness. The episode was filmed wholly in Seattle.....during the fall, which happens to be my favorite season. Jason stayed in a houseboat off of Lake Union during the visit, so I know or a fact that is not where he really lives since he's on the other side of Lake Washington, in Kirkland. But where they were staying....that is my neighborhood. Many miles were run along Lake Union, I walked to and from work everyday, I walked by that REI to go to my gym every Monday and Wednesday for my group fitness classes. I miss it so much!

Perhaps another reason I miss the city so much is because it's where I met my husband, while we were both still in college. I have many memories of us driving around in his VW Jetta up and down all those steep hills, walking around downtown, and braving the constant drizzle to shop at the outdoor shopping center by the UW (it just ain't Christmas without all the lights and rain!) Some mornings we would get up early while it was still dark out to go run....and sometimes when we got to Green Lake we decided we didn't want to get drenched that day and skipped out on the run for some warm coffee (for me) and hot chocolate (for him).

How did we meet? Random fact: Jon went to the Air Force Academy for a year. He quit and went to our university to do Army ROTC. I always tell him I'm so glad he did because I would have never met him and where would I be now? Anyways, we went to a small Jesuit university and I saw him walking around campus from time to time. Jon was a political science major and I was a biology major, so our paths never crossed in the classroom. While he did catch my eye, I was in a long term relationship at the time. He was just my eye candy in the beginning! Coincidentally, he was also in a relationship. My roommate worked with him in a nearby lab and would come home and tell me about her friend Jon unsuccessfully trying to break up with his girlfriend.

Then, after four years together off and on, I broke up with my boyfriend. We had started dating in high school and he went to a university nearby in Kirkland. Our paths just went in different directions and I was seriously sick of him giving me crap for not being more social and out-going. I was really quiet around people I didn't know and maybe not "fun" enough for him and his friends. I remember waking up one morning and thinking, "Enough!" I needed time to be myself, to grow, to discover who I really was without somebody else there telling me. It was over. I felt so free! 

So you can imagine my unwillingness to budge when my roommate came up to me three months later, announcing that Jon had finally broke up with his girlfriend. "No way!" I told her. "It's only been three months of being single! It's too early!" She kept pushing and pushing, relentless in her efforts, saying Jon wanted to meet me too.

I just gave up one day. "Fine! I'll go with you to his 21st birthday so you can introduce us." No big deal--just a casual meeting. 

He was already a little inebriated when we got to the nearby bar. There were a whole bunch of other ROTC guys and girls there buying him drinks, and I only got to talk to him for a little while--I don't even remember what was said. We didn't stay long because they were going to move on to a different bar, so we parted ways and that was that.

I was walking to a nearby drug store the next morning when I saw none other than Jon walking towards me with one of his friends from the night before. There was no one else around, but I was one of those people that waited for people to acknowledge me first. He walked right past me! Well, I thought to myself, either I didn't make much of an impression on him or he was too drunk to remember me! 

Some time passes and I'm eating dinner one night after school and work when my roommate comes barging into the apartment. She yells, "STOP! He's going to call you to go out for dinner! Stop eating!" I was already done....and full! But when he called, I still went anyways. Our first date was at Red Robin. I sat and talked to him and ate an occasional fry from his plate while he ate. I got a report back from my roommate the next day, "He thinks you don't eat!" Bah! I'm sooo not that girl! I had to show him! 

Details are fuzzy at this point--it all happened 6 years ago! There were lots of group get togethers with his friends and mine and we started to get to know each other that way. There was one group meet-up in particular at a bar for a Thirsty Thursday where I definitely felt the chemistry. Dinner plans were made for the next night. At the end of the night and a few drinks, Jon, ever the responsible guy, hands his keys to the DD and gets in the back seat with me. I was a little tipsy as well....and sleepy. So without thinking, I lay my head on his shoulder. He reciprocated, laying his head on top of mine and we rode like that in silence the rest of the way back up to campus.

There was a lot of Norah Jones in the early part of our relationship, considering that was one of the only CDs Jon owned. "Come Away With Me" was our soundtrack, and one of those songs will definitely be our song whenever we have our "real" wedding. I digress. Things just took off after that night. Jon went from being shy and unsure of what to say to me to being incredibly affectionate and silly. I never felt this way with anybody before and I didn't want to let him out of my sight! We became absorbed with one another and went on that way for the remainder of the year until summer came and it was time for Advanced Camp. 

Story to be continued. Bed time for this girl. I'll finish the story later! Oh and a quick note: Jon is now in Kuwait! I figured as much, considering I haven't heard from him in two days and he calls every night like clockwork! I got a quick little phone call as I was writing this....we're getting close here!

6 comments:

Sara said...

Yay for him being in Kuwait! It's ALMOST OVER!! Thanks for sharing that story! Too sweet.

I get homesick too when I see pictures of my hometown or hear it mentioned on tv or when bloggers decide to go there.

Rebecca said...

Yay! He'll be home soon! I can't wait to hear the rest of the story.

Katie said...

Yay for him almost being home!!

Thank you for sharing that story! I can't wait to hear the rest!

I also didn't know you guys are also doing the whole big real wedding afterwards! So are we!

So who is your favorite for Jason? I'm totally loving Melissa!

jlc said...

Omg that's SUCH good news!!! I can't wait to get that phonecall!!

Ummm yeah so I heart Gangsta's paradise and have it memorized. I ALSO was afraid to put Coolo as the title when my first line was what it was.... could've totallyyyy been interpreted as Culo.

Yes, I know my Spanglish very well. ;)


Maybe this is why we're bloggie friends... we're on the same wavelength! Haha!

loqi said...

Awwww, your story! I'm glad you started writing it, you already know my affection for the love stories. :)

SO EXCITING that Jon is Ku-waiting! Woot!!!

I just put Norah Jones on my iTunes. :)

Momily said...

If you don't mind my asking, what year did your husband graduate ROTC? My hubby commissioned from UW ROTC in 2007. Wouldn't that be funny if they knew each other?