How we Met

So I guess the best thing to write for a first post on a couple's journal is how we met and how we got to where we are today.

I worked at a restaurant/pub called the Tir Na Nog. It had been "my bar" since first year university- I had my first drink there. I was thrilled to be hired. After a summer of work, I was working weekends during the school year. Having very few friends outside work, I found myself hanging out there on my days off. That's how I met Humphrey. Humphrey was a DJ at Thursday night karaoke. After a very brief flirtation, he walked me home and invited himself in. After three nights together, spaced out over two weeks, that was the end of that... but I'd gotten hooked on karaoke and hanging out at the back with Humphrey and his two housemates - Simon and Tom. I noticed Simon because he was quiet and serious, and had a great voice (to be fair, Humphrey does too. He sounds like Elvis.) When I wanted to sucker Humphrey into a slow dance at the end of the night, Simon would gladly play something for me.

Then came my sister's 19th birthday. Much drinking ensued as all 110 lbs of me tried to match my slightly heavier sister drink for drink. Karaoke was fun - Simon sang a few backstreet boy songs and danced with a chair. Very cute. My sister took pictures. It was a good night despite some puking (her) and some drunkenness (both of us).

The next night I wanted to take her to a nightclub for the first time. So we went to Stages... I invited Humphrey to join us with some friends but he declined. So we went with some guys from work and had fun. 15 drinks in (my previous record having been 9 and I don't remember the night, having blacked out and fallen over), Humphrey showed up and I danced with him for a little bit... then I saw Simon, standing on the crowded, very hot, dance floor. He was wearing a touque, a scarf, and a winter jacket. I couldn't resist and I went and started dancing with him, trying to remove the winter garb. Simon very politely pried himself away when the opportunity presented itself. Bored, I found my sister and we left. The little rat had taken pictures from the upper level! On our way out we ran into Simon again and, being drunk, I went up and kissed him and started rambling about reading his Facebook profile and how no one had listened to his story and I wanted to be that one.

It took me a week to get over that embarassment and message Simon to ask if he wanted to go on a coffee date. Surprisingly, he said yes! We set up a lunch date for the first day he was to be back from Christmas Holidays.



We met for lunch at a restaurant downtown. The food wasn't that good and it was hard to talk so we went for a walk afterwards. After walking almost to the airport, we decided to head home. It ended up being a five hour, rather brisk, walk. We talked about everything. Once back to his place, he invited me in and asked if I wanted to watch Hotel Rwanda. So we did. Now, I'm a wuss and I'm jumpy. A few minutes into the movie, I was jumping and covering my eyes, so he put his arm around me. That's when I knew... this guy was something special. The walk said it, the choice of movie said it, and then once his arm went around me I just knew it was right, and it was going to last... and six months later, it turns out I was right. This IS something special.



We've been together ever since. Four days after our first date, I stayed the night because it was late, and there was no looking back. I essentially moved in after that. I think I spent maybe five or six nights in my own bed over the next four months. The only time we were apart more than a few hours was when I was in the Dominican for reading week. We've been joined at the hip ever since. I cried nonstop for a week when we first separated for the summer.



Now we're battling the trials of a long distance relationship as we're 300 km apart. We have the added complication that neither of us can drive to see the other and we're both broke. Add to that the fact that Simon's mother is protective and doesn't see me as the right one for her son.

We've made do with twice-monthly visits back and forth, a superb long distance plan that lets us talk up to seven or eight hours a day (and we do, too!), and the knowledge that our love is strong enough to get us through this.