I am not sure if you believe in a soul-mate, but I have a story for you! So sit back, relax, and enjoy.
It was September 10th, 2012. I was at the Edmonton International Airport, at gate 50, and I was sitting with my Dad, waiting to board the plane.
Let us re-wind this story a little. Before September 10th, a few months before, I was living in a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment in Stony Creek, Ontario, single. I got so frustrated with life one night – which I am sure a lot of people can relate to – that I wrote an essay. I sat at my desk, drinking some Jack Daniel’s on the rocks and eating sushi. I started to laugh and point my finger at the sky “God” and I actually said out-loud, “this is what I want in a man, good luck finding it, because it would be my soul-mate”. I then proceeded to write a four page essay on the perfect man for me. I was so descriptive and specific, from the exact height, hair color, and ethnicity, how he grew up… etc., that when I finished writing my essay, I thought, “there is no way someone like this is alive on the planet, maybe this would be a great man for a romance movie?” Then I tucked it into a drawer and went on with my life.
My Mother was waiting on a date for her knee surgery and we were chatting over the summer of 2012 when she called me one day and told me her surgery date was for the weekend of September 7th. That was my cousin’s wedding weekend. This cousin was in Edmonton, Alberta, and my Mom already had tickets for the flight and wanted me to go with my Dad to the wedding.
Firstly, I had just graduated from school and was working my butt off and had no money. I was paying for this apartment solo – as my boyfriend and I had parted ways and I was stuck paying double on my own. I could not take the time off which lead to an argument with my Mother, but in the end I agreed to go and took the weekend off work. Yes, I was working six days a week. Actually, writing about this eight years later, I’m pretty sure I might have even been working on Sundays. I had three jobs at that point.
But, I digress, I ended up going. It was one of the best decisions of my life!
So here I am on Monday September 10th, 2012 sitting at the Edmonton International Airport, waiting to board my plane back home to Toronto, Ontario.
Now, if you learn anything about me, I love coffee! I love coffee and I love cheap pens to write with. I am easy to please. I am one of those people that take the pen from the hotel room. Thank you in advance all hotels that provide me with pens.
So I am sitting at the airport, with an extra-large coffee in my hand, seeing as it is 5:30 in the morning. My Dad is on my left, and I am not even paying attention to the person on my right, until they call for boarding and my coffee spills all over this man and his computer! WTF! Seriously, WTF! I did not look him in the eye, partly because I was embarrassed, but also because I was devastated, that was my C-O-F-F-E-E!! Noooooo! And I said something ridiculous like,” I can’t pay for that I am a starving just graduated student.” He laughed and said something about his company paying for it and we walked up to boarding together.
I finally looked him in his eyes and, OMG… I am crying writing this. I can feel that moment in time, even to this day. Has anyone else had the pleasure of having a moment in time stop? I sure did at this point. I wish that – LOVE – for everyone. It is beyond breath-taking. It is the calm and peace you know deep down inside is possible, it is the stillness in the Universe, it is what Einstein explained in his Theory of Relativity. There really are no words for it. But, guess what? My guardian angel taps me on my shoulder and says, “eh, eh, here you go!” (Note: I am Canadian. Not sure if my angel is?) I need to take a break; I have to get a tissue…
I want everyone to know, no matter what, the Universe has your back! Always! Or, they can tap you on the shoulder I guess…
So there I am on the plane. I am nine rows back from him. Yes, I counted. And I stared at the back of his head for the full four hour flight back to Toronto. I am a pretty confident, down to Earth kind of person but on this flight I was nuts! I kept thinking of what to do, I could not let him walk off the plane without talking to him again? I ran through a million or more scenarios in my head. I’m pretty sure I even started day dreaming. What was I going to do? If I did not get to him after the flight, did I know someone who could hack the airline computer and find his name and address? Is that stalker-ish if it is your soul-mate? It is the 21st century, I guess I could ask him out but did I ask for that in my essay? Finally, we land, and are de-boarding. He looks in my direction…I want to die. Actually, I want to leap over everyone in between us and get my hands on him. Will he wait for me?
He is waiting for me! I get off the plane to see that he is waiting for me. What a gorgeous smile on this man! What is wrong with me? It’s l’amore I guess?
Before this encounter, as you already know, I was working all the time. I had a plan to work, maybe get a house, and pay bills really. My student loan was ridiculously large and beyond the narrow-minded, fear based “I have to pay this off” mentality I really did not have many other goals in life. It was sad, really. After my last relationship, being in another was not a priority for me. That is why I wrote a four page essay, since I really did not think the man I dreamed up existed. When I looked into his eyes, I knew deep down in a part of my soul that I did not even know existed, this was him!
I walk up to him. He is tall, has dark hair and dark brown eyes, his smile is gorgeous! I have to point that out twice. I immediately blurt out, “will you go out with me tonight?” He laughs and says, “I was going to ask you that.” Then we start walking to luggage claim together. What happens next is priceless. I knew our relationship was going to last when he asked one of the most important questions, “are you a Maple Leafs fan?” “Uh, no, I was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario and I am an Ottawa Senators fan. What about you?” He is an Edmonton Oiler’s fan. Of course! His reply, “I can live with that.” Yeah, I can live with that too. (Disclaimer: No issue with the Toronto Maple Leafs, I just stay true to my home team, I do not jump band wagons just because I moved cities. And yes, to answer that burning question, I am still an Ottawa Senators fan.)
We make plans to meet at his hotel bar that evening to begin with drinks. I am stressing all day at work. I could probably use a drink. I do not even have a chance to change from work clothes in order to make it to the hotel to meet him on time. I was thinking, “this is who I am, love it or leave it. No need to dress up or pretty myself.” Actually, I’m still in the same clothes he saw me in at 5:30 that morning. Getting all pretty did not work with my past relationships, why bother now?
I get to the hotel bar and he is already seated and drinking, is that a Ceaser? Hmmm. Did I specify drink choices in my essay? Yes, I did, and it did not include Ceasers. I do not like tomato juice. Hmmmm. He asks me what I would like to drink, as it is on him. What a gentleman. I order a double Jack on the rocks. He almost chokes on his Ceaser. I burst out laughing. And ask him why he is having a ‘cocktail’. He said he wasn’t sure what I would order and went with a more ‘neutral’ drink. He actually prefers whiskey. Thank God! This is going to be a great night!
We are seated at a table tucked next to a half-wall in the hotel bar. It is secluded and quiet. We are both sipping our drinks when we start with the questions. At this point in my life, I am not wasting time; I just shoot off the most important questions like an online dating site. He obliges, and answers them all with a few questions of his own. Guess what? Everything I ask, which is mostly what I wrote in my four page essay is on point! He even has a tattoo! I did not ask for that one, but hello, it is sexy on this man.
We have been together for eight years now, married for six, and we have been asked a few times by servers on dinner dates if we are breaking up and who will pay the bill. Not sure if that will give you a better visual of, ‘our first date with drinks’.
We head off to dinner after the hotel bar and continue to enjoy each other’s company. And when I say “enjoy each other’s company”, he could not stop kissing me the whole evening. Firstly, he is an amazing kisser. Thank you essay! Secondly, he has no idea how much I love food. And he is hardly letting me enjoy my food. I have to admit, it was difficult that evening, kisses or food? It may be an easy answer for some people, but then you do not know how much I love food! You all know, and he knows now too, how much I love C-O-F-F-E-E. I head home late that evening and think about how lucky I am. I really did just win the lottery. And I have left-overs!
We met every evening until he had to leave on Friday afternoon. I will not bore you with tiny minutiae of what happened the rest of the week, but I will tell you that it was Wednesday evening when I told him I would move to Edmonton, Alberta and move in with him. Since we are together, you can all guess that his answer was yes.
Some people will say two days later you agreed to move in with each other? When I told friends, family and co-workers I was moving, a lot of them scoffed and thought I was nuts to move in with a guy I just met to the opposite end of Canada. What they didn’t know, was that it was the easiest decision of my life because I knew he was my soul-mate.
A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh – “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
…I have to get more tissues…
