5 years ago

I would have written this on Thursday but I'll be on the road and can't, so I'll just be ahead of myself. So 5 years ago (this Thursday), I went on my first date with Sam. We had met at his cousin's wedding which I planned on June 9, 2007. We exchanged numbers and talked everyday on the phone from that day forth. I was wanting to drive down to Atlanta to go on a date but I was nervous. Having never driven to even Nashville by myself, driving to Atlanta seemed like the most scary thing ever. I mentioned to my brother that I wanted to go to Atlanta to see Sam, but Jake quickly rejected the idea of little-old twenty-two year old me driving all the way to Atlanta in my crappy '89 chevy blazer to go see a thirty year old man (older than my brother) whom I've only met once. My parents and I were already planning a trip to see my brother in Knoxville so he suggested that I meet Sam there and spend the night at his house the night before our parent's would arrive. I figured there was no way in hell that Sam would agree to spend the night in some strange man's house just to go on a date with a girl he had only seen once. But Sam, being the affable gentleman that he is, agreed. So on June 21, I drove in my rented car (my Chevy Blazer,  d'Artagnan would have died half-way there and yes, I named my Blazer after a Musketeer) all the way to Knoxville. I made 5 cds of good driving songs and wore a shirt that wouldn't show sweaty pit stains. I was doing so many nerve-wracking things all at once. I was driving farther than I had ever driven before. I was going on a date. And I was actually going on a date with someone I was really interested in and was also very handsome. So we met in the Wal-Mart parking lot at Turkey Creek shopping center, because that's where all classy dates should begin. At that point, I was a messy ball of sweat. My stomach was dancing around my insides and my throat tightened up. When I got out of my car and walked towards him, I started to run towards him but then felt silly, so I slowed down to a more calm, normal pace. Fortunately, all Sam noticed was how nice my figure was, especially my ass once he got a better look. You got to love the difference in male/female trains-of-thought.
Female: OMG, I'm so nervous, I must look like a wreck, how's my hair, he looks so hot, why did I wear these shoes, what do I do if I have to burp, I'm so unlady-like, does my breath stink, I knew I should have stopped off at a gas station and bought gum, brushed my teeth, sprayed my whole being with mint, look normal, stop walking like that, you look like a constipated ostrich.
Male: I could bang her.



So after our initial meeting, we walked over hand-in-hand to the Olive Garden. I got to have another moment of over-analysis running rampant when it came to choosing from the menu. It couldn't be anything too pricey or too messy (definitely no spaghetti). I ended up choosing something way too garlicky, oops! It ended up not mattering much since my stomach was so knotted I barely ate. Not so knotted that I couldn't drink 2 sangrias! After the meal we saw Pirates of the Caribbean II or III. About 2/3rds of the way in, we had our first kiss. At some point that day, I asked him, "Are we...?" and he replied, "Yes." His one word reply to my half-finished question made us officially together. The next day we walked hand-in-hand through Market Square. They have a fountain that you can splash in and we had our first photo as a couple taken.

                                   
It's been a crazy, hard, and wonderful 5 years and I wouldn't change a thing. Our whole story involves little chance encounters and circumstances that allowed us to meet at the right time. I feel incredibly lucky that life took me where we needed to be in order for us to meet and fall in love. Life can knock you down, twist you around, and bitch-slap you in the face. But it can also pick you up, carry you around, and give you the one meant to walk with you for the remainder of your days.