Our (Somewhat) Arranged Marriage

I've been thinking about doing this post for some time now and I am finally getting around to it! So here it goes...

I was living in Tampa, going to college at USF and serving tables as my source of income. I had just broken up with someone that I worked with at Outback and needed a change. I had put my two weeks notice in at Outback and on my last day of work, I served this one special table.



Cayman's parents, his sister and her fiancé were sitting at my table, on my last shift at Outback and they were seriously creeping on me. His sister asked me a bunch of questions, like what I liked to do, what I liked to listen to, if I had a boyfriend... you know, usual questions you ask your server! She immediately said I should date her brother, Cayman, and they showed me pictures of him, one being his BMT Graduation picture, which was a bad call on their part because he looked so sad and sickly! But I still thought he was cute, so I went out on a limb and contacted him on Facebook.

We exchanged messages for a few days and then started texting. We arranged to meet at a coffee shop in Tampa, I knew he was going to a show in Tampa because he said his friends band was playing and that he couldn't hang out for very long... I kind of pressured him into inviting me to the show, so he did and I went along with him there too!

I had been visiting my family north of Tampa by about an hour and half and the next day I was meeting him in Tampa, so I got ready and headed down to Tampa for the weekend, NERVOUS as ever!! We met at Mema's, which was an Alaskan Taco restaurant, which is now closed down, and I remember stumbling and being so so so nervous upon meeting him. We were both so awkward! We hugged and walked to The Bunker, which is a small coffee shop in Ybor City, Tampa. We talked, talked, and talked some more and then off to St Pete for the show.



We held hands, I met some of his friends, it was like we were dating already. His parents and sister ended up showing up as well to the show and I felt a little more comfortable, but also weirded out! They were such a hit and so welcoming. I knew they were spying on us to see how the date was going, but it was okay! I didn't mind!

I remember it being so loud, that Cayman and I had to lean in to each other's ears to talk to each other inside. When Cayman would lean in to my face, I would get goosebumps all over my body. I know it was something special. At one point, I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek...I know... I'm so aggressive!! I couldn't help it! I was so in love already!

So we kissed. A LOT.

After the show, we went to IHOP with his family and had a late night breakfast, I drove Cayman back to his sister's fiancees apartment, where he was staying, and we talked some more in the car then we went our separate ways! I remember tearing up at this point. I am so crazy!

Now, seems like a pretty simple 'how we met' first date, but there is a big part I left out...

Cayman was home on leave between his Air Force tech school graduation and his first assignment in South Korea. We met on Saturday and he was reporting to duty on Monday. He left Sunday morning for Seattle to take a plane to South Korea for a year. We were immediately separated.

I remember going to my friend, Kaylee's, where I was moving, and crying all night to her and our friend. I remember saying "I'm so in love!! I want to marry him!"... yeah... back to being CRAZY!

Anyways, we Skyped when he was in the Seattle airport and I met some of his AF buddies and they thought we were crazy. We had just met! But we had such a great connection. We were going to make this work from across the world. Instantly. We knew.

We talked for two months and I bought a plane ticket to South Korea to meet the man of my dreams again. I flew to South Korea in May and spent about two weeks there, his parents came for a few days as a buffer, JUST in case something went weird! We traveled around South Korea and explored our first country together! This was the beginning of our story and our relationship apart!

What is your story? I love hearing about others, also other military couples that meet on weird circumstances. My best friend Katie met her husband on an airplane and flew cross country to make it work, read about her experience here. I love how our love stories are so different from the ordinary. Makes for a good story!

p.s.

Oh I forgot something very, very important!

Before Cayman and I met, I started evaluating my life... I prayed and prayed and decided I wasn't going to date for a year. I had been in multiple short lived relationships that were just tearing me down, as a person, my soul, my whole being. I had lost all respect for myself and was living such an earthly life and not caring about myself at all. I was lost, depressed, miserable.

Then I met Cayman... and I felt that God was motioning me to date him. He came into my life at the most perfect time. I couldn't be happier in making my decision to date Cayman, he truly is the love of my life!