Dan and I met when we were 16 years old at my cousins wedding. We exchanged "hellos" and I never thought I would see, or hear, from him again. However, god had different plans. A month later at a school dance (we went to rival high schools) Dan and I met once again. We exchanged numbers and spent hours on the phone, but unfortunately we never got a chance to hang out... and... as every great love story goes we were complete opposites. Dan and I weren't in the same crowd in high school. He was the wild child "too cool for school" boy and I was a total preppy princess. So of course, I ran for the wind.
Fast forward to 5 years later, and God once again brought Dan back into my life. My husband was on tour in Iraq, and often had a lot of free time. I being a Facebook addict, am always online, thus prompting Dan to send me message. Sparks flew as we reconnected and caught up on each others lives. I asked a lot of questions about Iraq: How he is doing? Is he safe? What does he do? Is he scared? He asked me about my daily life: My shopping purchases, my puppy, and my weekend plans.
Our chats became a daily and we learned everything there was to know about one another... relationships, past regrets, the ideal mate, the perfect wedding, babies, houses, first dates, awkward hookups, clothes, vacations, pets, siblings, parents... you name it, Dan and I spent every waking moment discussing it. From the moment my eyes opened in Maine, to the moment his head hit the pillow in Iraq, we were in constant contact with one another.
On October 8, 2010 Dan boarded a plane from Iraq to Kuwait. I didn't hear from him for over 24 hours. I was nervous, I was scared, and I was anxious to hear from him. My heart fluttered and my mind raced. However I did not cry, I inhaled deeply, and told myself that I needed to be strong because this beautiful, selfless, strong hero wakes up everyday to serve for our country, and to protect our freedoms and he was now on his way home!
Two days later I received an e-mail telling me that he had landed and was safe. I breathed, smiled, and thought you should never say never. Later that day I got to talk to Dan on instant messenger and it reassured me that my feelings for him were real, and that I can be strong for someone else, and that I was willing to endure the military life for this man.
A month later on November 5th, 2010 I saw Dan for the first time in 6 years and I knew that he was worth the wait, the worry, and that I could be with him, a soldier. I knew instantly that he was the one that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, the man I wanted to call my husband, the man I wanted to be the father of my future children.
I moved to Savannah, GA where my husband is currently stationed in December 2010. We married on February 4th, 2011. We still reside in Savannah and have been enjoying all that this lovely southern city has to offer.
