After our summer love matured, the day when we had to part came along. After all, I was a foreign exchange student and my family was waiting for me back home (Venezuela). Anxiety kept creeping up as D-Day got closer. I had made wonderful friends throughout the year, my host-family was amazing and I had found love! I had such mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, I would be leaving a place full of great memories, and on the other I'd be reunited with my family and friends, whom I'd missed all year long.
The tradition was that all the exchange students, along with their host-families and friends would get together at the local high school and wait for "the bus" that would take the exchange students to the airport. I have to say that waiting for that bus was like Chinese torture.
As the bus arrived I remember a chill running through my body. The Groom and I had no idea when we would be able to see each other again! And like every teenager, we thought we had found our life-mate during our senior year of high school. Lucky for us, this was true.
The luggage was loaded, the headcount checked, goodbyes were said. And off we were. And yes, The Groom ran after the bus. He would then be known amongst my friends as "the one who ran after the bus."
Less than a year later, I was back in The States to continue my education. With distance out of our way we continued dating. I had found my soul mate, but we weren't ready to be together just yet. We were so young and made so many mistakes. Eventually we each went our own ways.
It wasn't until eight years later that my host-mother received a call from some high school friend asking for me. Not much information was exchanged, so I had no way to get back in touch with him. As soon as I learned this my heart skipped a beat. I thought "wow... that was so long ago!" and I embarked in a quest to find him. And I did! Via Google of all places! I simply typed his first and last name and voila! There he was, with his big smile staring back at me. I had found him through his company website. It was a Sunday, so I knew he wouldn't be at work but I called the number on the screen anyway. It was so comforting to hear his voice again. I left him a message with my contact information and thus began the rest of our lives.
After some reacquainting, some courting and a great romance, we were engaged to be married! And the wonderful Punam was there to document it:
The tradition was that all the exchange students, along with their host-families and friends would get together at the local high school and wait for "the bus" that would take the exchange students to the airport. I have to say that waiting for that bus was like Chinese torture.
As the bus arrived I remember a chill running through my body. The Groom and I had no idea when we would be able to see each other again! And like every teenager, we thought we had found our life-mate during our senior year of high school. Lucky for us, this was true.
The luggage was loaded, the headcount checked, goodbyes were said. And off we were. And yes, The Groom ran after the bus. He would then be known amongst my friends as "the one who ran after the bus."
Less than a year later, I was back in The States to continue my education. With distance out of our way we continued dating. I had found my soul mate, but we weren't ready to be together just yet. We were so young and made so many mistakes. Eventually we each went our own ways.
It wasn't until eight years later that my host-mother received a call from some high school friend asking for me. Not much information was exchanged, so I had no way to get back in touch with him. As soon as I learned this my heart skipped a beat. I thought "wow... that was so long ago!" and I embarked in a quest to find him. And I did! Via Google of all places! I simply typed his first and last name and voila! There he was, with his big smile staring back at me. I had found him through his company website. It was a Sunday, so I knew he wouldn't be at work but I called the number on the screen anyway. It was so comforting to hear his voice again. I left him a message with my contact information and thus began the rest of our lives.
After some reacquainting, some courting and a great romance, we were engaged to be married! And the wonderful Punam was there to document it:
Photograph by Punam Bean
And so started the Wedding Planning!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment