courtney jade’s blog

I remember it like it was yesterday… I wasn’t nervous… until the plane landed that is. Then the onset of butterflies took over my tummy, and my palms started to get clammy. I took a deep breath and walked off of the plane, anxious, nervous, excited. It took forever, but I couldn’t believe the day was already here… and just a year before we had spoken for the first time.

We were finally about to meet. Face to face, that is.

One late night, just after graduating high school, I was browsing a website called facethejury.com for some “hotties”. (HA HA HA!!) It was a site where you could post 4 photos of yourself, and then the other site members could rate you on a scale of 1 to 10. This was the “new and improved” version of the well-known HotOrNot.com. You could even write a few sentences about yourself underneath your photo- which was a vast improvement.

So, scrolling through boys and rating them, I came across this photo… (I wish I still had it, I’m sure he does somewhere) He was cute, bleach blonde short messy hair, a puka shell necklace, and big headphones. Yep, total cutie. He had his AIM alias written in his profile, so naturally, I messaged him to say hello.

The cursor blinked…. and blinked…. and nothing. Bummer, but oh well, I thought.

Then, the next day, he messaged me back. He apologized for missing my message, but he was out at a concert. We ended up chatting online for about an hour or two until he finally wrote “may I have the pleasure of hearing your voice on the phone?”.

Normally, to any other guy I had just started talking to online, I would have said “ummm probably not.” But for some reason, I agreed and gave him my number. What am I thinking!?!? I thought… so nervous to be on the phone with him. He promptly called, and we talked for about 3 or 4 hours that night. It’s as if only minutes had passed, and before I knew it it was 2am. We said goodbye, and I went upstairs and wrote in my journal about him. He was perfect, but lived in Michigan, which was just so far away…. if only…

The next few months passed, we chatted online a little bit, and I moved away to Honolulu to attend UH. My first term was a whirlwind of excitement, adventure, new friends and amazing experiences. We’d say “hello” every so often online, but he was technically “unavailable“, and so I wasn’t so interested. On my visit home for winter break, I was upstairs in my room listening to music when I heard the “deedle-ing” of AIM.

It was him. And he was recently finally available. I was still skeptical, but I figured a little flirting couldn’t hurt. After all, he was all the way on the other side of the world, and very complimentary. Chatting online turned into video chatting, long distance telephone calls (remember when that cost extra!?), lots of phone cards, late nights, and early mornings.

We got to know each other so well, it was almost scary. We talked every day, and eventually, I decided that we just had to meet. We weren’t exclusive, but we both weren’t interested in anyone else. I brought up the idea of visiting for the 4th of July, and he was delighted! Freshman year ended at UH, and I moved home. From there, I bought my ticket, and made plans to stay with him for 2 weeks. Of course, my parents and family were all in a hissy.

“You’re going WHERE??? To meet a boy from the INTERNET?!!!??”

Keep in mind, this was 2004, and meeting people online was still a very new and unheard of or dangerous thing to do. Doesn’t everyone who meets online get murdered or raped!?!” “How do you know he’s really who he says he is!?” , etc. etc. Unfortunately for my mom, being a good parent came back to bite her in the butt every time I reminded her that “you said when I turned 18 I could do whatever I want.”

Of course I reassured them that yes, I know who he is, and no, he wasn’t a 58 year old psycho creep. I doubt that made them worry less.

I was young, and ready to have an adventure, and by golly I was going!!! What’s that quote? You’ll never learn to fly if you don’t jump?

There are some moments in life that are so special, that you can remember them as vividly as a photograph. July 1st, 2004 was one of t

hose moments.

I rolled my carry-on down the hallway of the DTW airport terminal, following the signs to the luggage pick-up area. My heart was racing, and the butterflies were flying around like crazy. I turned the corner, and spotted him in an instant. How could I miss him?

Standing there, 6’4″ tall, holding a dozen red roses (and one white one) in jeans and an orange shirt, he smiled at me. I walked over to him and he gave me a huge hug. I fit perfectly in his arms.

He held my hand, and I told him, “your hands are sweaty” (I know, I’m so romantic!), he laughed and said mine were too. Then his friend, who came with him, and was standing beside him said “dude, say something to her, she’s right here!”. I laughed and just looked at the ground as he replied “I know man, my heart is kind of on the floor!”.

We stood there for a while and waited for my luggage, little did I know, I was falling in love. Fast.

That two weeks was some of the best times I have ever had. Summertime, young, falling in love, and just being carefree. He adored me, and I was smitten. Guys never looked at me the way he did, nor did they ever say such sweet things. To him, I was perfect. And so, it was official, we were boyfriend and girlfriend.
Shortly after my trip to Michigan, he moved out to Portland, OR  to be with me. I couldn’t have been happier.

It’s been seven years since the day I first saw him at the DTW airport. It’s been quite the adventure, and we have been through a lot together. He still loves me unconditionally, even if my clothes are everywhere and I forget to rinse my ice cream bowl out in the sink. He knows me better than anyone, and better than I know myself at times. He can read my mind, even when I’m too stubborn to admit it. He has taught me so much, about myself, and about how to be a better person. We have more inside jokes than we can remember, and we love to laugh togethe

r. He has taught me patience, thoughtfulness, and love. He is strong, compassionate, fair, and very intelligent.  He is always honest, more patient than one should be expected to be, and very thoughtful.

I feel so lucky to be loved by someone so sincerely, and so wholly. It has been an amazing seven years growing up together, I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us. You are my other half, and I am so thankful for that one second, of that one day, when I saw your photo and decided to message you.

You just never know what the universe has in store for you.

I love you all the stars in the sky, and the moon, and all the pink balloons, times a piece of Saburo’s sush. <3 Happy seven.