Where it all began

Last night I had a pretty long conversation with Laura's older sister over IM. (have I told you how much I love our laptop today?) We were talking about something and I started talking about when Laura and I first got together. Brought back some great memories of that first summer we spent together.

Laura and I first met on May 7, 2004. It was three weeks later that we went out on our first date. During those three weeks from when we first met and our first date there were many nights spent on the phone. The first time we talked on the phone we were on the phone from 8pm until well after 2am. I remember being so nervous when she first called me. Our first date was on May 28, 2004, the day before my birthday. We went for a simple dinner and then back to (what was) my house to hang out. I remember it being a very nice evening and we ended up sitting out on the back deck until well after midnight. We were just talking and getting to know each other more. Our first kiss was on my birthday on the back deck. I will tell you this, that was the best birthday gift I ever received. Around 3am I decided it was probably best to get her home. It was a 30 minute drive to get her home, 30 minutes of saying goodbye and then 30 minutes to get back home. As we left the house she handed me a present and said to open it later in the day. When I pulled in the driveway I knew I was getting home too late because the paper had already been delivered.

By the time I got into bed it was 5am. I had to be up at 8am to go pick up one of my nephews to drive down to see my brother. I was looking at 4 hours on the highway. As I got on the road I put in the CD Laura had given me for my birthday. I instantly fell in love with this artist that I had never been that interested in. (more on the artist in the following weeks) As my nephew and I drove down to the lake where my brother was living I had this feeling that I knew my life would never been the same. Around 11am Laura called me on my cellphone to see how I was doing. I knew she wasn't even out of bed yet due to our late night. Oh and she called to officially wish me a happy birthday.

Once I arrived at my brothers I told them about this wonderful date I had. They were happy and supportive, but I would find that was short lived. Laura and I ended up talking on the phone that evening until something like 2am. I finally told her I had to get off the phone because I was exhausted. After staying up all night the previous night, driving 4 hours and then playing with my other 2 nephews (who were 2 and 1 at the time) I was about to drop.

The next afternoon I drove home. And of course most of the way talking with Laura. We spent all of Memorial Day together. That was when I first learned she did not like "On the Border" which is one of my favorite restaurants.

The next few weeks were filled with us getting to know each other and many more sleepless nights. I am not sure how I survived those first few weeks. I am the kind of person that needs at least 8 hours of sleep at night. I was living off maybe 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night. I guess I was living off pure adrenaline. It was wonderful.

In July I talked with Laura and told her that I really needed some sleep and the only solution I saw to that was her moving in. She agreed and the rest is history.

When I was married to my ex-husband I kept saying to myself, "this can't be all there is". I would say the same things when I was just dating people after my divorce. I never felt my life was complete in the love department. I was always searching for something else. I was not content. Laura has filled all those voids I was feeling. When we first got together everything around me disappeared and it was just the two of us there.

Laura and I have realized through our conversations that our paths crossed several times before we actually met. They crossed in 1995 when we were both working at the same mall. They again crossed in 2000 when she was living in the same apartment complex as someone I was dating.

We were meant to meet on May 7, 2004. It's such an amazing feeling to find the person you were always meant to be with.