our story

After our little jaunt to Hawaii, I felt like I should share the story of how Nick and I met, since it actually happened in Hawaii- almost 10 years ago (whew!). We really have my cousin Brendan to thank for introducing us... The week I graduated high school, Brendan came out to Kentucky to see me graduate and join in the festivities. A few weeks later, after his own graduation, our families were meeting in Hawaii for a joint family vacation. Brendan was bringing along his best friend, Nick.
While Brendan was out visiting me in KY, he kept telling me about Nick and how we should "you know hang out" in Hawaii. He went so far as to send Nick my AOL (haha!) screen name so that we could chat beforehand. Well, chat we did- every night leading up to vacation! Tahoe07 and Jessiek311 logged many hours IMing on the old dial Internet. We even talked on the phone a couple of times before the trip. We were both a little flirty but I don't think either of had expectations of a relationship...
I remember being is nervous on our flight to Hawaii. I had planned my outfit out days prior to the trip (a blue striped halter top and jean Capri pants) and stopped in the bathroom on the way to baggage claim to make sure I looked okay. When we got to the baggage claim in Maui, I saw my cousin's family waiting for us + Nick. He was wearing a blue button down shirt and khakis- a bit formal, but cute nonetheless.
Brendan formally introduced us and I got super shy all of a sudden. Nick, however stepped forward and said "I think I know you well enough to do this," and he gave me a hug.
The rest of the vacation, I spent time with Nick and my cousins everyday. We accidently-on-purpose kept bumping hands when we walked so that it was "just easier to hold hands". Then I pretended to dislike guacamole and bananas since Nick didn't like them; while he ate ketchup at Cheeseburgers in Paradise for me. He was quick to rub sunscreen on my back since I couldn't reach and always offered to sit in the backseat of the car with me.
Then a couple nights before the end of the vacation, Nick and I took a walk on the beach after dark. We brought a couple of beach towels with us so we could sit on the beach. We sat down and looked out at the ocean, at some ships in the distance, and talked and talked. Then it started to rain, just a little and so I threw the second towel over our heads to keep us from getting wet. Then, the romantic-comedy-moment of my life occurred, and Nick said, "I better do this before I lose my nerve..." And he leaned over and gave me a kiss. The rest is history! From that moment forward, both of us decided to figure out a way to be together, despite the odds... Several thousand miles between colleges, two years apart, crazy jobs, and everything else couldn't stand in our way. So that is the story of how he and I came to be. How lucky I am to have found the love of my life at 17! Here is a picture from that first vacation to Hawaii (back before digital was en vogue...)

PS: Nick still has that bathing suit... It may or may not have come on our last Hawaiian vacation too..