I simply put in that I wanted to chat with a male, aged 20-25, in the United States. As the list of names came up, one in particular caught my eye. (I probably just liked that he had cat in his screen name.) I checked his profile, and found that we seemed to have a lot in common. So I decided to message him. "Do you want to talk to a girl who thinks anime is cool?" 

After a few moments he responded "sure" (It took him a few minutes....he had to check my profile.) We talked for hours, about the basics: age, location, likes, dislikes, siblings, etc.

We hit it off instantly! Quickly- it got to be routine that we would hurry home every night, because we couldn't wait to chat with each other. We joined a role playing game together and got very into how our characters interacted. When our computers weren't able to IM, we emailed each other, receiving/replying several times a day. I started to see things when I was out shopping, that made me think of him. 

We decided to exchange snail mail addresses and phone numbers. This lead to sending each other little things we found we knew that the other would love, and a call or two. The enjoyment that the two of us got from hearing each others voices (I LOVE his slight Southern accent) lead us to get cell phone plans with free long distance and 'nights and weekends'. After that, it seemed to those around us the cell phone was a permanent attachment to our ears. His mom kept saying she couldn't figure out what we could have to talk about for so long!

By November we seemed to be very much in love, and we had never met! 
He bought a plane ticket, and we eagerly awaited January 4, 2002. As the days dragged by, the phone was a great help, even while opening the Christmas gifts sent across the country. I was incredibly surprised to walk into work on December 18th to find a dozen roses had been delivered to me. When I called to thank him, he said "Happy Anniversary! We've known each other for 3 months!" I remember pacing around the house for hours before his plane landed. And he felt butterflies in his stomach, not only because he was meeting me for the first time, but he had never been on a plane before. 

As I pulled into the Oakland airport parking lot, my cell phone rang, and I heard that familiar voice. I parked, and began to walk toward the building saying "where exactly are you?" Then looking up I noticed a person on a phone at the top of the stairs. At the same time he noticed a person on a phone walking toward him. "Is that you?" we asked in unison. Then a wave and hanging up the phone. We saw each other face to face, and I swear my heart skipped a beat. We hugged each other, standing in each other's embrace for a long time, already not wanting to let go. The weekend spent together was perfect.

We cried as I dropped him off at the airport 4 days later. As soon as he got home we were on the phone again. After a few days of missing each other, he told me he had decided to move to California, just to be close to me! We excitedly discussed our plans. He was going to fly up for my Birthday (Feb 12). While here we were going to search for a place to live. He was fortunate that the company he works for had a shop here in the Bay Area and he was able to transfer. Then we were going to fly back to Alabama, on Feb 14, load all his stuff into a U-Haul, and drive for 4 days back to California. "Sounds like a good plan!" I said. 

After a long pause, he said "Do you think you would marry me someday?". Pausing to think, I replied "yes". "Really!?!" he said. "Really really!" I giggled, liking the idea more and more. "Would you marry me now?" he asked cautiously. "Actually ....yes" I said quietly "why don't we do it when we're there, so your parents can come?" "Oh My Gosh! REALLY?! That would be great!!" he smiled.

He spent the next month preparing to move, transferring information, planning the trip route, saving money and finding out facts about obtaining a marriage license. I packed up my stuff, kept a look out for a place to live, and tried to figure out a way to break the news to my family.

We survived it all, and wadded through the stress. He flew out for my birthday as planned. While here, he got down on his knees, and asked me to marry him, letting me know how much he loved me, how happy I made him, and how I had changed his life. He had decided he couldn't live without me. He gave me a beautiful ring. 

On February 15, we had a short and sweet ceremony at the Probate Court of Mobile County. The reception was a cute cake and the sandwiches his grandmother made. We took many rolls of pictures. Shortly after we were married we hopped into his truck and drove to Navare, Florida for the night (our Honeymoon). We came back the next day and loaded all of his boxes into the U-Haul trailer. At 4:30am, Feb. 17, we got up, got some coffee, and hit the road. We left Alabama, went through Mississippi, Louisiana, and into part of Texas. We stopped in Oklahoma for the night, to visit his friends. The next morning the ride was 9 hours to Albuquerque, New Mexico....to stay at the "World Famous Albuquerque Holiday Inn". 

The trip to Bakerfield, CA seemed to last forever. And the final day we got home in time to go sign the lease for our first apartment! We had survived the ride...no bumps. We, amazingly, got along great for the whole trip!

We have gotten moved in, and are getting used to waking up to each other every morning. coming home to each other every night. It's a wonderful thing that makes us both enjoy each day more than ever. We can't wait to eat that frozen piece of wedding cake, that rode across 8 states with us, to celebrate our first year and all the many to follow.

"Holly"