How We Met

Valentine’s Day is upon us, and whether I was single, senselessly dating, or happily dating boy in the past, I have always enjoyed Valentine’s Day. I know, I know . . . I’d like to say that I was the girl wreaking of cynicism and burning love notes in an x-boyfriend effigy; but I'm just not.

Perhaps, it’s because I love the Christmas season and the red and glittery grandeur seems to flow right into Valentine’s Day, happily taking us through the wintry season. I give into the Hallmark holiday with all its swooning traditions, and I can’t help myself.

It's my first Valentine's Day as a married woman, and I couldn't be more grateful to be wed to boy. On that note, I’d love to tell you how Philip and I met . . .

Almost six years ago, I started working at a small international nonprofit in southern Virginia, and it was my first job out of college. This was a big girl position, and I was ready for it. As I settled into my office on the first day, I was informed that I would be sharing an office with Philip.

Philip . . . oh him. We had briefly met a few weeks prior at a mutual friend’s event where he was the photographer. He actually snapped a few photos of me and a law student friend, who I was desperately trying to make my boyfriend. Needless to say, it didn't work out, and I was decidedly single when I started the new job.

So there we were - sharing an office space, overhearing each other’s phone conversations, exchanging exasperated work moments, and all this led to picking up a morning coffee for the other person because “oh I just thought you may need this”, to sharing our music collections for afternoon listening, to divulging current and past romantic escapades with one another, to simply getting to know each other. And well, we became friends. The best of friends and just over a few short months' time. 

(boy is the man behind the camera on this Ugandan safari) 

After returning from a work trip to Uganda together, Philip found himself leaving his job (for reasons other than me), and we found ourselves wildly attempting to turn the friendship into something more. And something more we did. Instead of taking lunch breaks, I’d drive to his home midday just to steal a kiss from him. Leaving me giddy, but quite hungry all day. We’d pick up late night Chinese and picnic on his downtown rooftop. We drove for hours on Saturdays just to feel our toes in the nearby sandy beaches. We were most certainly falling in love. 

(the only photo we ever took our first round of dating, and it's a doosey)

At the mere ages of 22 and 24, girl and boy, we just knew that it would never work out in the long run. There was school to finish, cities to move to, and experiences to be had. We ended on somewhat a cordial note, knowing that if we ended in friendship then, we have something more to find in the future.

So, boy moved to D.C. and a year later, I moved to Boston . . . to be continued.

P.S. The wedding photos will continue next week.