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Throughout history stories of romantic meetings are chronicled and passed down through the ages.

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So... How Did You Meet Anyway?


Saturday, July 24, 2010

Wedding Day

Happy Anniversary!
So I was teaching in North Carolina when one of my former principals contacted me and offered a job in Berlin Germany. Since I had no strong ties to the US, I took advantage of the opportunity and accepted the job and moved to Germany.
When I started at my new school in Berlin, there were 26 new teacher also teaching at our school. There was one new teacher who caught my eye and I thought I might have a possibility with her. When we had our group events however, she didn't have a phone and she lived near none of us, so we were missing many opportunities to get to know each other better.

A big opportunity came about though to finally get some time to talk to her during our fall break. She and two other teachers booked a week in Corfu Greece. A group of four of us were using the same travel agent and she told us about their deal and said there was still room for us to go too. We booked the trip and the seven of us were off to Corfu.
That is where Melissa and I had our first opportunities to really get to talk. One day I remember vividly was that we were on the beach for many hours and we both decided to go for a walk. Our short walk turned into hours and we talked non stop. Now for me, that is not a problem, but Melissa is very shy, quiet and reserved. And on this walk she talked non-stop. The rest of the week proved to be great.We really got to know each other well and became great friends. When we got back from Corfu, I was in love. I called my friends in the US and told them that I met my wife. They thought I was crazy. They warned me against rushing into things, to slow down. I told them that I hadn't even asked my future wife on a date yet. I just knew that if I played my cards right and she too was interested, that this is the woman that I would want to share a family and my life with.
So now back in Berlin, I put my plan together. Melissa is not a girl that you get drunk and hope that she makes out with you. She is someone that takes time and is well worth the wait and effort. So since we are in Europe, I figured that our first dates should be traveling. The get to know you route through non-intimidating experiences with friends. So I planned a trip for a small group of us to go to London for the weekend. I also planned another trip to Disneyland Paris. I also spent a lot of time talking to her and calling her and inviting her to group events when we were not traveling. Through our trips, and get togethers in Berlin, I was trying to read her interest. Sometimes, I thought she was really interested and wanted to date me, at other times, I thought she wasn't interested at all. So I decided to go ahead and ask her on a date. Just the two of us.
She accepted. Which was great news. However, we both had a really great friend name Jenny who was determined to keep us apart. Not out of spite or self wanting, but out of cluelessness. I asked Melissa to go to the Christmas Markets and I even told Jenny the plan of me asking our Melissa. Jenny later in the same evening was talking to Melissa and Melissa told her that she and I were going to the markets. Jenny invited herself along.I asked Melissa out on another date and Jenny then again invited herself along.Jenny had no ill intention, she just liked hanging out with us and wanted to do the things that Melissa and I wanted to do.
My big break came though on one of my dates with Melissa and Jenny (which technically couldn't be called a date.) We had gone to a bar and Melissa, Jenny and I all had too much to drink. Since we were leaving the club at 3 in the morning, I thought it was best that I made sure both of the ladies made it home. Melissa and I got Jenny home and I then took the half hour train ride to Melissa's place. We talked non-stop again. I walked her to the door and the awkward silence took place to wish each other good night. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe I was being brave, but I went ahead and gave her a kiss good-night. She lit up and kissed me back. We discussed in our excitement that we liked each other. We also made the decision that since we had too much to drink that we would go out on a date together tomorrow night when we were sober.
So the next night Melissa had me over for dinner. We talked about our mutual attraction for each other and recapped the last 2 months. When I had the feeling that Melissa was interested, she said she was. When I thought she wasn't interested, she said that she was having doubts. She didn't want to date someone she worked with and someone she had become such good friends with. But eventually she decided that she would give it a try. We had a week more together in Berlin and then our Christmas break came. Melissa went home for two weeks and I traveled to Spain and Italy.
When she came back to Berlin, it was as if she had never left. We planned our first trip alone together to Rome in February. The progression of dating really sped up. When you go out to dinner with someone, that is like one date.When you go to Rome for a weekend (and you both are experiencing Rome for the first time) that is like 50 dates. Our school had a 3 week spring break in March and Melissa and I traveled to Ireland, Spain and the Canary Islands together. I knew that I wanted to spend my life with her so I started planning on how I was going to propose to her.
Carnivale every year in Venice is filled with masquerade balls. I made reservations for both of us to attend a ball the following February. We rented costumes and also started ballroom dancing lessons.The following Valentine's weekend, we flew to Venice. We rented our costumes, posed for pictures in San Marco Square, took a gondola ride, and attended our ball. On our walk home, I stopped on a bridge and asked her to be my wife. She said yes and we are getting married today July 24, 2010.