I was 23 and ready to graduate college with a confusion of what to do after school was over. My dad is a pilot and I fly standby on United flights. After playing competitive tennis all of my life, my knee had been completely swollen and in pain for about 6 months. I had been to many different doctors with no explanation of what was wrong with me. So I sucked it up and decided to use my standby pass to fly up to the Mayo Clinic in MN. I was waiting at the O’Hare airport and I spotted a cute guy. I was waiting in line at the security counter and the cute guy said “can i see your passport?” because he had always wanted a passport. We talked for a few minutes and then went our separate ways. Well, I saw him again at the gate, waiting to get on the flight to MN. He said he was going to visit a friend and go to the White Sox game. Turned out that his dad was a pilot for United also so he was flying standby. We both were bumped off of the flight and had a few hours until the next one. We went to the bar and had a drink and a truly great time. I really enjoyed this guys company. So we waited to get on the next flight and he did (his dad had better seniority for the airline) so we said goodbye, without exchanging info. It was a bit sad because i really liked this guy. SOO…2 days later, I am waiting at the MN airport to fly back to Chicago and I’m at the gate, and all of a sudden I see the boy! He and I were now at the Minnesota Airport waiting to get on the exact same flight back to Chicago! So we both got on, exchanged info, and went our separate ways once the plane landed in Chicago. We lived in different cities but tried to date. We tried to do the distance relationship thing but after a certain time, we realized it was too difficult. During the time we dated, Tim taught me so much about life, traveling, adventure, that i decided upon graduating that i wanted to travel, volunteer, and work abroad. And it’s exactly what I did and now, looking back 3 years ago, I see that I’m so happy with the route my life has taken and I have Tim to thank for that.
Posts Tagged romance
The Plane Ride
Oct 21
For my older brother Nick’s 30th birthday, he decided to have a dinner at a pub a half hour from where I live and work. It was extremely snowy, icy, and cold, and when I got off work at around nine or ten at night, I debated whether to bother going. I eventually made it up there to find everyone had eaten. I waved to some of my brother’s high school friends and sat across from my parents. When they left, a few of those friends and I began chatting, and, at one point, I told one of them, Peter, that I had once had a huge crush on him when we were younger. He seemed only a little surprised…. As everyone, including my brother, left, it was only Peter, my cousin, her friend, and me, eating, talking, sharing ipods, etc. At the end of the night, Peter and I hugged and he told me to email him, but, when I got home, he had already requested my friendship on Facebook. We chatted a few times over the week, exchanged numbers, and even went out (although I didn’t know it was a date at the time [even after he pulled a rose out of his sleeve]!). After a few weeks of seeing each other, Peter broke the news to my brother, asking permission of sorts to date me. Nick seemed a little wary, but said it was okay. After that point, I felt much better about the situation, having felt some anxiety, and Peter and i have been dating for over nine months now. I still giggle whenever I think about him as a teenager, fifteen years ago, and how I thought he was the cutest thing; he likes to tease me about it, too. I found a picture on Facebook of him, my brother, and a few other high school friends at Nick’s wedding reception, and in the background is the back of my head as I’m talking to someone else; I only vaguely remember thinking that it was nice of them all to travel so far to celebrate with Nick. That was three years ago. I guess I’m pretty lucky that I don’t mind driving on icy Chicagoland roads at night to wish my brother a happy birthday. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be in love with an amazing man, and who knows where he and I would be?
This story was submitted by Fariha Alhassen.
As I sit here typing in this box with a max word limit of 500 words, it’s hard to summarize 2 years of my life that changed for the better. Well, better for most parts, a sad twist for others. However, I believed that you can find great things in the most odds of places. I happened to find mine that way. It all started back in 2007, when I happened to meet my significant other online through, ahem, “Myspace.” I, out of all people, being shy and conservative, would have never given him the time of day. However, he grew on me, and I realized that I could never let this person go. But on the contrary, my father could let everything go. My life unfolded into one of the most bizarre stories ever told, and I have been searching for the perfect opportunity to tell my story. A girl who discovers what she really wants, and goes through the betrayal of her family, endures agony, and is left with nothing but strength and determination to get through it all. That girl is me. And this is the story of how you can find love in the strangest of places, and go against all odds, just to make it work.
The Wingman
Sep 8
It was a typical fraternity party the last week of college. I had already been offered and accepted a job at the college town’s daily paper. I had little interest in studying, knowing even if I bombed the finals I would almost certainly pass every class and graduate. To sum it up in two words: Party time!
As the alcohol flowed, the music blared and hungry hearts began to pair off, the night moved along. A good friend who was a pledge under me and I shared a beer (OK, maybe a couple). He told me how much he wanted to go over and talk to a girl from a sorority with which we had strong relations – and had basically worked as a match-making service for our fraternity members.
I glanced over, following his lust-filled eyes. Seeing that the girl he was lamenting over was talking with one of her sorority sisters who I knew, I offered to give him a hand, basically get the other girl occupied so he could work his magic.
I went over with him in the unfamiliar role of needed sidekick. I started to talk with Patti about anything and everything to give my friend time to try to make a connection with his targeted prey.
When I ran out of such lines as “Do you have many finals?” and “How are classes going?,” I turned to my most well-versed topic: sports. And it was a shot and a score! We talked about baseball. We talked about football. And while they were some shots back and forth – she’s a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I live and breathe Dallas Cowboys – a connection started to ignite.
We talked sports well into the night, after most party goers had staggered home alone, staggered with peers to another party or paired up for the night. When the kegs started to run out and the party house became nearly deserted, except for the home occupants, I offered to walk Patti home.
On the walk across campus, we talked some more, sharing laughs and jabs at each other’s expense. As we headed down the stairs to get to the lower campus, I was a step or two ahead of her, and whether it was romance, the late hour, the beer – or some combination of the three, I turned around as she headed down the stairs. I reached out and kissed her. She kissed back – and two apartments, three houses, three kids, one dog and 23 years later – we are still together.
It hasn’t always been a party. There have been trials, tribulations, fights, losses and mistakes. But those are far outweighed by the joys, successes, celebrations, wins and right decisions.
I often look back and wonder how different my life would be if I hadn’t been in the right spot at the right time. That party turned into the celebration of my life!
I was invited to a friend’s house for Sunday brunch one Columbus Day weekend, but couldn’t go because I had plans to go to Los Angeles on Saturday.
Saturday morning, my luggage was packed, I was ready to go, but for some strange unknown reason, I did not want to leave my house for the airport. I changed my flight to the next one, and still couldn’t leave. I changed my flight one more time, and realized I was powerless to go. I felt as if my legs had turned to stone, and I was extremely agitated by this bizarre occurrence.
I did not understand the tremendous force that kept me there. Since I was still in New York, and it was a beautiful weekend, I decided to go to my friend’s house for brunch on Sunday after all. He was just a friend with whom I worked. Nothing more.
We had a lovely day, and when it was time to say goodbye, he kissed me as he usually did, but this time, I felt something completely different. I suddenly, instantaneously saw him in a different light. I wondered if the force that kept me in New York was simply so that I could experience this mystical one moment in time.
We changed our lives (we were married to different people) and have been together for 10 years.
