I never imagined I would get married so young and at the time having a boyfriend was the least of my worries; until I met Joel. It was August of 2001 right before 9/11 hit when I met Joel.
I met him through a girlfriend of mine and lets just say his first impression was far from the best. He was full of himself as most boys are at the age of 21. My first impression of him was not inviting nor near friendly. He was a bit out of the norm for me as I am a very outgoing and social individual. I tried to make the best of the situation and start a very casual conversation. I asked him where he was from and what he did in the military...He quickly responded "Why are you asking so many question" and "Why do you care!" I thought OK dude I was just trying to be nice. Needless to say I left there with a bitter taste in my mouth, but mind you, I was not there looking for my future love, just there hanging out with my girlfriend and her boyfriend (his roommate). A couple of days passed and I received a phone call from an unfamiliar number. As most people do when they don't know whose calling, I didn't answer but received a voicemail...it was him! He wanted to apologize for his actions the other night and for being so rude. I blew off his phone call and went on with my day until later that night I receive yet another call. This time I answered and had a brief conversation with him. I told him that it was alright and that I appreciated his apology...all the while mumbling under my breath....Yeah right dude! It had to have been about a week until I heard from him again and this time it was a couple of unturned phone calls, an email, and a phone call from my girlfriend letting me know that he would not stop talking about me and would I please give him a second chance to make a better impression. I said fine, but we are not hanging out at your place again we need to get out and do something fun! More or less, give me a place where if this goes south I can run...lol!
We ended up going to a local fair. We all walked around, talked, and participated in the thrilling rides. It was fun and I actually enjoyed myself. After that evening we started talking more and hanging out as a group. The final breaking of the ice was when we all had planned a double date to Seattle to go out to eat and ride up the Space Needle. I should have known that it was a totally set up when my girlfriend and her boyfriend backed out at the last second. So, Joel and I went on our way to Seattle and had a huge turning point...He was sweet, thoughtful, and kind. Call it cliche, but it was a perfect night. We spent over two hours up at the top of the space needle overlooking Seattle. We talked and shared stories of our families and past experiences. He was a different person and one I never thought he would be.
Shortly after that night, September 11th hit and our world would change to the unknown. He had gotten the order that he would be leaving in the first round of deployments to Afghanistan. It was heartbreaking, I thought how have I come to love someone so quickly and now he would be leaving for war. I was young and had no clue what life was about. All I knew is that someone I had grown so close with was leaving. I remember it like yesterday getting the phone call from him as he was waiting to get on the bus to leave...He called me and said that he wasn't going! I was so excited and happy to hear the news. It was fate and from there the story went on. He had gotten orders about four months later that he would be stationed in Germany come the end of summer. Again, we were faced with saying goodbye, but this time HE had fate in his own hands. He asked me to marry him and spend the rest of our lives together. I of course said "YES" and was so excited!
He was 21 and I was 20...We were young, in love, and were ready to concur the world together. Many questioned our age and intentions, but we knew it was either say "I Do" or goodbye forever to love of our lives. We moved to Germany, survived a deployment, and many other changes in life. Almost eight years later we are still as much in love as we were in the year 2001. It's funny how life's road map leads you in your direction. Joel is my best friend, soul mate, and love of my life. He was once someone I never imagined myself with and now today is someone I can't live without. He is my Everything!!
