What a sad sad day. I am sitting here on flight DL116 from Detroit to Stuttgart via Atlanta typing my story how I surprised Helen. Saying good bye was the hardest thing I had to go through in a very long time. Usually, for me saying good bye is extremely easy because I just don't care much about most of my family or my friends. Of course, there are some exceptions where it breaks my heart, but I usually do it quick; therefore, it is painless.
THE JOURNEY
Let's jump back to the start. Last friday, early in the morning, I boarded my plane going from Stuttgart, Germany to Detroit, MI via Paris Charles-de-Gaules. The layover was just a few minutes, so I had to run down the whole airport to get to my connecting flight in time at the opposite side of the building. I was one of the last ones who boarded the plane to Detroit, but the seat next to mine wasn't taken. In the last minute, a young woman stormed inside the aircraft and found her seat right next to me. Since it was early in the morning, I decided to nap until they served breakfast whereas I recognized that the woman was extremely nervous. So, I decided to start talking to her trying to calm her down. I asked her if she was flying for the first time by herself and she said no. She actually is a flight attendant on vacation, so I asked her what she was nervous about. I seems like that I am not the only one who is crazy, and she had to tell me the exact same story an reason why I was traveling. She is English and her boyfriend is American. He also had no idea that she was coming. I also told her what I was up to as well, and she thought it is unbelievable that two people with the same purpose meet in a tiny airplane. It must have been destiny. We connected quite well and were able to take each other's nervousness. After exchanging contact information, we promised each other to send an email and tell each others' stories when we both get back at home.
THE ARRIVAL
After arriving in Detroit and saying good bye to the young woman, I proceeded through immigration and customs and looked for my partner in crime Andrea. Andrea is one of mine and Helen's close friends and double checked her work schedule for me to make sure where we can find her without her finding out that I was coming. The drive from Detroit airport to Grand Rapids took about two hours, so we had enough time to go through the plan. About a week ago, I sent Helen a message telling her that a package is on its way to her home and will arrive this Friday. So I prepared a Disney bag with a simple USB stick with pictures and films from our trip to Disney World. Andrea was supposed to make the delivery by entering her restaurant, asking for her and handing her the bag without a comment while I would be waiting outside the restaurant with some flowers that we bought before we got into town and eventually blow her away with an awesome line. That was the plan!
ACTUALLY DOING IT
After getting the flowers, I fixed my hair and eliminated the smell of sleep and sweat from the flight, which was quite a challenge since I didn't have a shower or the opportunity to wash up somewhere. The bag was prepared, the flowers in my hand, we drove up on the parking lot of her restaurant. Andrea went inside to go through with the package delivery. I was sitting and waiting outside the restaurant and thought about the perfect line to tell her when she finally came outside. Thousand different thoughts were flying through my head. I was a nervous wreck! A total nervous and overly excited wreck! Close to my first heart attack! I was staring at the door and I was praying that this never ending wait time would be finally over. After a thousand years, actually it was just three minutes, the door finally opened and Helen came storming out the building and stared at me in disbelieve. She was standing there not being able to move an inch and looked at me with a tear rolling down her face. All my thoughts were gone, my mind was empty, and I was not being able to say a single word. It was the most beautiful moment I could have ever wished for. Then we both finally broke and fell into each others' arms. We were just standing there holding each other. I didn't even know where the flowers went. Later, I realized I dropped them on the ground when Andrea bent down for them to pick them up. Looking over to Andrea, I saw that even she had tears in her eyes. She was supposed to take a video, but she was so overwhelmed with the situation that she totally forgot about it. Helen was the first one to say something: "Thank you, God! So sooooo much! I was never expecting this... And I am so god damn happy!"
That night, Helen had to finish her shift and I was hanging out at the bar in her restaurant. The next few days, she had to work as well, but her co-owner told her to take the shortest shifts, so we could spend some time together.
THE AFTERMATH
How we spent the time will stay our little secret, but we discussed many things and decided to try to close the distance within a year. She will be moved to a new store eventually, and I will settle down from ship life and get a land based job. Thank god, my employer is a multi billion dollar and global company. I can work wherever I want!
The only thing we have to figure out, and that gives Helen a very big stomach ache, is how to tell my terrible ex. If you have read Helen and my story, you know that she is best friends with my ex and me, and I don't want to take that friendship away from her. But telling my ex will be a hard piece of work. Helen won't ask her for permission to date me, but she is afraid how me ex is going to react to the whole situation. I guess we will see. I offered her that I will do whatever needs to be done for us to be happy together. There is absolutely no doubt that there will be a happy ending.
THE JOURNEY
Let's jump back to the start. Last friday, early in the morning, I boarded my plane going from Stuttgart, Germany to Detroit, MI via Paris Charles-de-Gaules. The layover was just a few minutes, so I had to run down the whole airport to get to my connecting flight in time at the opposite side of the building. I was one of the last ones who boarded the plane to Detroit, but the seat next to mine wasn't taken. In the last minute, a young woman stormed inside the aircraft and found her seat right next to me. Since it was early in the morning, I decided to nap until they served breakfast whereas I recognized that the woman was extremely nervous. So, I decided to start talking to her trying to calm her down. I asked her if she was flying for the first time by herself and she said no. She actually is a flight attendant on vacation, so I asked her what she was nervous about. I seems like that I am not the only one who is crazy, and she had to tell me the exact same story an reason why I was traveling. She is English and her boyfriend is American. He also had no idea that she was coming. I also told her what I was up to as well, and she thought it is unbelievable that two people with the same purpose meet in a tiny airplane. It must have been destiny. We connected quite well and were able to take each other's nervousness. After exchanging contact information, we promised each other to send an email and tell each others' stories when we both get back at home.
THE ARRIVAL
After arriving in Detroit and saying good bye to the young woman, I proceeded through immigration and customs and looked for my partner in crime Andrea. Andrea is one of mine and Helen's close friends and double checked her work schedule for me to make sure where we can find her without her finding out that I was coming. The drive from Detroit airport to Grand Rapids took about two hours, so we had enough time to go through the plan. About a week ago, I sent Helen a message telling her that a package is on its way to her home and will arrive this Friday. So I prepared a Disney bag with a simple USB stick with pictures and films from our trip to Disney World. Andrea was supposed to make the delivery by entering her restaurant, asking for her and handing her the bag without a comment while I would be waiting outside the restaurant with some flowers that we bought before we got into town and eventually blow her away with an awesome line. That was the plan!
ACTUALLY DOING IT
After getting the flowers, I fixed my hair and eliminated the smell of sleep and sweat from the flight, which was quite a challenge since I didn't have a shower or the opportunity to wash up somewhere. The bag was prepared, the flowers in my hand, we drove up on the parking lot of her restaurant. Andrea went inside to go through with the package delivery. I was sitting and waiting outside the restaurant and thought about the perfect line to tell her when she finally came outside. Thousand different thoughts were flying through my head. I was a nervous wreck! A total nervous and overly excited wreck! Close to my first heart attack! I was staring at the door and I was praying that this never ending wait time would be finally over. After a thousand years, actually it was just three minutes, the door finally opened and Helen came storming out the building and stared at me in disbelieve. She was standing there not being able to move an inch and looked at me with a tear rolling down her face. All my thoughts were gone, my mind was empty, and I was not being able to say a single word. It was the most beautiful moment I could have ever wished for. Then we both finally broke and fell into each others' arms. We were just standing there holding each other. I didn't even know where the flowers went. Later, I realized I dropped them on the ground when Andrea bent down for them to pick them up. Looking over to Andrea, I saw that even she had tears in her eyes. She was supposed to take a video, but she was so overwhelmed with the situation that she totally forgot about it. Helen was the first one to say something: "Thank you, God! So sooooo much! I was never expecting this... And I am so god damn happy!"
That night, Helen had to finish her shift and I was hanging out at the bar in her restaurant. The next few days, she had to work as well, but her co-owner told her to take the shortest shifts, so we could spend some time together.
THE AFTERMATH
How we spent the time will stay our little secret, but we discussed many things and decided to try to close the distance within a year. She will be moved to a new store eventually, and I will settle down from ship life and get a land based job. Thank god, my employer is a multi billion dollar and global company. I can work wherever I want!
The only thing we have to figure out, and that gives Helen a very big stomach ache, is how to tell my terrible ex. If you have read Helen and my story, you know that she is best friends with my ex and me, and I don't want to take that friendship away from her. But telling my ex will be a hard piece of work. Helen won't ask her for permission to date me, but she is afraid how me ex is going to react to the whole situation. I guess we will see. I offered her that I will do whatever needs to be done for us to be happy together. There is absolutely no doubt that there will be a happy ending.
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