In June 2009 I finally got my freshman year exam results, I had worked hard and managed to score first class on all my modules. This was exciting enough, but also meant I had the grades I needed to attend Toledo University, Ohio, USA as part of the salford/toledo exchange program. Whilst in Toledo, I met so many good friends, had a lot of drunken antics and gained a lot of good memories, but the one night I will never forget is October 31st 2009- the night I met the love of my life.
I'd never intended on even going to that party. My roommate and I had trawled the depths of the internet months in advance to find the perfect Halloween costume, she'd settled on a psychiatrists uniform, whereas I'd picked out a light blue Care Bear costume. I had intended to road trip to Kent state with my roommate to spend Halloween with some of her friends from highschool, but instead ended up at Dale and Brendas house- the couple who had looked after us Brits throughout the exchange trip. We had spent all the week before converting their old Victorian house into a giant ghost pirate ship- they go all out for Halloween! After all the trick or treaters had left, one of the PhD students from Toledo popped round to invite us round to their party, we all agreed to go instead of just going home.
When we got to the party we were led to the basement, were the punch and beer pong was situated and soon the party was in full swing, and I was pretty tipsy (151 is the devils drink I swear). I stayed in my little corner and people seemed to congregate round me, others stayed, others went and mingled some more. I was talking to Micheal Jackson for some time until his good friend Zoolander came along to say hi and ask how he was- I later learned that Zoolander hardly knew Micheal at all, and he was just using it as an excuse to start talking to me. I soon found myself talking to Zoolander for a good few hours about everything and nothing, my dreams of going to Japan one day, my desire to go to Borneo to work with orphaned orangutans, until he was called away by a soldier needing a ride home, and I had to take my pirate home, as he's had a bit too much rum. I thought that was that and we'd all had a good night.
2 Days later I received a text, asking if this number belonged to the Care Bear in the basement? I nexted back, that yes it was and who was asking, praying it wasn't the creepy 40 year old who had been asking me out to dinner at the party. I got a text replying that is was Adam, the zoolander guy and did I remember him? YES OF COURSE I DID! Even in my drunkenness I remembered his gorgeous body, his ridiculous starry cowboy boots and his beautiful blue eyes. He then asked me, as a seemed to love Japan so much (I *may* have rambled a bit) would I like to go out and eat sushi with him the next evening? ERM YES PLEASE?! I did warn him I couldn't use chopsticks, and thus this date would be VERY embarrassing, but he said he's pick me up anyway.
I remember how good he looked in his warm woolly coat, how he'd opened every single door for me (I haven't opened a car door for myself since), how he'd giggled and went to get the little japanese lady when it turned out I wasn't exaggerating about my chopsticking ability, how we'd talked and talked and talked and TALKED and how not one minute of that date was awkward, how we'd clicked from day one. We started hanging out a couple of nights a week from that day on. We got through 4 seasons of How I met your mother and 4 seasons of Doctor Who. I left for christmas and was shocked about how much I missed a guy I'd only known for 2 months. We both spent all of holiday obsessing over what to get each other for christmas. I bought him a bowler hat, and he bought me a penguin hat =) I wore it to every one of his rugby games, and we became exclusive in January 2010.
I'd been meaning to tell him I was in love with him for months. I'd be thinking "tonight is the night" and something stupid would happen which would make me back out. Then one beautiful Saturday afternoon, we'd made love so sweetly, so passionately, we lay there staring into each others eyes for what seemed an eternity, I thought my heart would burst if I didn't say it, he suddenly got up and said we should go for a walk. We walked around the apartment complex hand-in-hand till I stopped him under a tree and we kissed. We went back to the "OMGMYHEARTHURTS" staring and he looked like he was about to say something till a STUPID GREAT CANADIAN GOOSE (i'm not bitter I swear) came and hissed at us so we had to leave. It was all too much that day, and I tried not to, but ended up crying. I was so frustrated with myself for not being strong enough to get my feelings out. We sat on the bed with a toilet roll between us, me sniffeling until he confessed he was in love with me. It was like a huge weight had been taken away from us. I hugged him and when I was finally able to talk, I told him I loved him too =)
We were inseparable, not had a single fight since we got together, you couldn't have one with out the other, unless you wanted the one you invited to constantly talk about the one absent. Then it came for my exchange year, and my visa to end. I stayed as long as I could, I even moved in the last 2 months of my stay until it was time to go. There was no question of breaking up at this point, we were in it for the long haul.
We drove to Detroit airport and I broke down when the check-in guy gave me my tickets. I pulled myself together and we walked to security. We hugged and kissed and hugged some more. I cried a little and told him how much I loved him and how we'd get through this. I stepped back and his eyes started to fill up. I never want to see that look on his face again. He said he had to go or he'd lose it. he gave me one last desperate kiss and hug and walked off. I watched him till I couldn't see him any longer and howled. I've never felt so lonely, crying in the middle of an airport, everyone around you pretending you're not there. The man I sat next to on the plane looked after me though, and I helped him with his knitting which calmed me down somewhat. My mum met me at the airport and took me home, I cried all the way.
So now we are long distance, but we have so much to look forward too =) He's coming at christmas to meet my family, and I'm hopefully, professors permitting, going out at easter then closing the distance once I start school again at Toledo. I can't wait for out future together =)
I'd never intended on even going to that party. My roommate and I had trawled the depths of the internet months in advance to find the perfect Halloween costume, she'd settled on a psychiatrists uniform, whereas I'd picked out a light blue Care Bear costume. I had intended to road trip to Kent state with my roommate to spend Halloween with some of her friends from highschool, but instead ended up at Dale and Brendas house- the couple who had looked after us Brits throughout the exchange trip. We had spent all the week before converting their old Victorian house into a giant ghost pirate ship- they go all out for Halloween! After all the trick or treaters had left, one of the PhD students from Toledo popped round to invite us round to their party, we all agreed to go instead of just going home.
When we got to the party we were led to the basement, were the punch and beer pong was situated and soon the party was in full swing, and I was pretty tipsy (151 is the devils drink I swear). I stayed in my little corner and people seemed to congregate round me, others stayed, others went and mingled some more. I was talking to Micheal Jackson for some time until his good friend Zoolander came along to say hi and ask how he was- I later learned that Zoolander hardly knew Micheal at all, and he was just using it as an excuse to start talking to me. I soon found myself talking to Zoolander for a good few hours about everything and nothing, my dreams of going to Japan one day, my desire to go to Borneo to work with orphaned orangutans, until he was called away by a soldier needing a ride home, and I had to take my pirate home, as he's had a bit too much rum. I thought that was that and we'd all had a good night.
2 Days later I received a text, asking if this number belonged to the Care Bear in the basement? I nexted back, that yes it was and who was asking, praying it wasn't the creepy 40 year old who had been asking me out to dinner at the party. I got a text replying that is was Adam, the zoolander guy and did I remember him? YES OF COURSE I DID! Even in my drunkenness I remembered his gorgeous body, his ridiculous starry cowboy boots and his beautiful blue eyes. He then asked me, as a seemed to love Japan so much (I *may* have rambled a bit) would I like to go out and eat sushi with him the next evening? ERM YES PLEASE?! I did warn him I couldn't use chopsticks, and thus this date would be VERY embarrassing, but he said he's pick me up anyway.
I remember how good he looked in his warm woolly coat, how he'd opened every single door for me (I haven't opened a car door for myself since), how he'd giggled and went to get the little japanese lady when it turned out I wasn't exaggerating about my chopsticking ability, how we'd talked and talked and talked and TALKED and how not one minute of that date was awkward, how we'd clicked from day one. We started hanging out a couple of nights a week from that day on. We got through 4 seasons of How I met your mother and 4 seasons of Doctor Who. I left for christmas and was shocked about how much I missed a guy I'd only known for 2 months. We both spent all of holiday obsessing over what to get each other for christmas. I bought him a bowler hat, and he bought me a penguin hat =) I wore it to every one of his rugby games, and we became exclusive in January 2010.
I'd been meaning to tell him I was in love with him for months. I'd be thinking "tonight is the night" and something stupid would happen which would make me back out. Then one beautiful Saturday afternoon, we'd made love so sweetly, so passionately, we lay there staring into each others eyes for what seemed an eternity, I thought my heart would burst if I didn't say it, he suddenly got up and said we should go for a walk. We walked around the apartment complex hand-in-hand till I stopped him under a tree and we kissed. We went back to the "OMGMYHEARTHURTS" staring and he looked like he was about to say something till a STUPID GREAT CANADIAN GOOSE (i'm not bitter I swear) came and hissed at us so we had to leave. It was all too much that day, and I tried not to, but ended up crying. I was so frustrated with myself for not being strong enough to get my feelings out. We sat on the bed with a toilet roll between us, me sniffeling until he confessed he was in love with me. It was like a huge weight had been taken away from us. I hugged him and when I was finally able to talk, I told him I loved him too =)
We were inseparable, not had a single fight since we got together, you couldn't have one with out the other, unless you wanted the one you invited to constantly talk about the one absent. Then it came for my exchange year, and my visa to end. I stayed as long as I could, I even moved in the last 2 months of my stay until it was time to go. There was no question of breaking up at this point, we were in it for the long haul.
We drove to Detroit airport and I broke down when the check-in guy gave me my tickets. I pulled myself together and we walked to security. We hugged and kissed and hugged some more. I cried a little and told him how much I loved him and how we'd get through this. I stepped back and his eyes started to fill up. I never want to see that look on his face again. He said he had to go or he'd lose it. he gave me one last desperate kiss and hug and walked off. I watched him till I couldn't see him any longer and howled. I've never felt so lonely, crying in the middle of an airport, everyone around you pretending you're not there. The man I sat next to on the plane looked after me though, and I helped him with his knitting which calmed me down somewhat. My mum met me at the airport and took me home, I cried all the way.
So now we are long distance, but we have so much to look forward too =) He's coming at christmas to meet my family, and I'm hopefully, professors permitting, going out at easter then closing the distance once I start school again at Toledo. I can't wait for out future together =)
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