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02/17/2003 Archived Entry: "Whirlwind Internet Romance= True love & Wedded Bliss :)"

Yesterday, was our 3rd month wedding anniversary. 3 months of the happiest days in our lives... and I suspect there will be years & years more. I was thinking that I had not shared how Greg and I met, and I thought what an interesting story...it should be shared...How did this Alabama girl end up in Canada? Now alot of people frown on whirlwind romances, but I myself think they can be healthy and happy! I am a third generation whirlwind romance success!! My grandmother and grandfather (my mom's parents) met on January 19, 1945 and were married on February 16, 1945...they were married for 50 years before my grandmother passed away. My mom and stepdad knew each other for over a year, before my mom would agree to go out with him, and he asked her to marry him on their third date..they have been married 15 years!

I met Greg on May 4th, 2002. We met via the internet...I won't go into to alot of detail exactly how we found each other, because that is part of the charm...I have to leave a little mystery there. :) We started emailing one another, and things progressed for us very fast...only after 3 days of emailing one another Greg found out that he won a raffle at work for a 7 day Alaskan Cruise for 2!! Well, he couldn't believe he had won, and was figuring out who he was going to take. I said," Well, maybe you can take one of your friends." and he said, " maybe." We joked about it for a couple of days... that maybe we should meet on this cruise. I was taken by surprise when Greg asked me seriously to come go with him on the cruise. He said" What do you have to lose?...you can come out here, and see how things go...if things don't work out...then you just had a nice vacation." I of course got very apprehensive, and not sure this was a good idea at all, because of course I didn't even know this guy. You know you hear all the horror stories...and I didn't take any of this lightly. I of course made a very good point that I didn't have the money to do this, and that I didn't think I would have enough time to take off from work. Not to mention my family and friends would think I was completely off my rocker. Greg offered to pay my way out, and that I could pay him back. I still was not sure, and I knew that I was going to have a hard time explaining this to my family. I told him I would think about it, and after a day or two, I agreed to come meet him and go on the cruise.

In the meantime, we started really hitting it off...I was even starting to fall for him. He was too good to be true. We set the date of our cruise to be in 6 weeks!!! I got a webcam and we both talked and emailed everyday via the webcam. I got to see him , and how he reacted ...and I knew that he was geniune. I was in love with him before I even laid eyes on him. He felt the same way about me...we couldn't wait to see each other in person for the first time.

Convincing my parents was another story...my mom and stepdad took it rather well...my mom being very concerned, but understood that I was an adult, and I could make my own decisions. Greg even mailed copies of his birth certificate, driver's license, and gave his work information and phone numbers, and even his mum's name and number for my mom. She felt much better about this, but she was still concerned...it wasn't until she saw him on the webcam that she decided Greg was a good guy. My dad didn't take it well at all, and I won't even bore you with that part of the story. He has since changed his mind. :)

I had never taken chances in my life, and I had been living my life in a hole...scared to live and experience life...I was afraid of disappointment and being hurt. I took my life by the horns, and I said I would be a fool not to take this chance...what if "he" turned out to be the "one" I have been waiting for all of my life. In the next weeks...things progressed and good things were happening to us...It is funny how things work out. I ended up getting the spending money I needed for the trip, and I can thank two wonderful aunts for that. One of which passed away before I went on the cruise, and I know she had a hand in this...she has always watched out for me, and I know she is looking down on me and Greg , and she is smiling.

The day came , and I boarded a plane and flew to Seattle. Greg drove down and picked me up at the airport. We knew each other immediately, and were very happy to see one another. I had to call my mom right away to let her know I was ok...and she talked to Greg. I told her I would be in touch via email when I got a chance. We drove back to Surrey, and spent the afternoon driving around and showing me the sights. We got up the next day and went to the docks and boarded the cruise. We had the time of our lives...it was an incredible week, and we fell head over heels in love with one another. Leaving to come back to Alabama was the hardest thing. I cried and he cried...and we promised it wouldn't be long before we saw each other again. We talked everyday, either by phone, email, or webcam.

Greg and I planned for him to come to Alabama in September, two months after our cruise. It was the longest two months!!! He came to Alabama in September and spent a week with me and my family. We had a great time... He got here on Saturday, and on Tuesday he asked me to marry him. We had been to the lake that day...and he had met my papa, who was in a nursing home at the time....we were standing in my kitchen. It is almost a blur to me now , but I do remember I had the biggest smile on my face. We set the date for November 16th, and planned for Greg to fly back down for the wedding. We both wanted something small, and simple. My mom planned and I planned and we had a very sweet romantic little ceremony in an old country house, surrounded by family and friends.

The rest is history....and here I am now. We have never been so much in love as we are now, and it grows stronger everyday...I believe in fate, and I believe things happen for a reason, and I believe with all of my heart, that I have been waiting all my life for Greg. I believe there is someone for everyone, and sometimes you have to take chances in your life...if you don't , you might miss out on something really wonderful that could change your life. Don't be afraid to live, and live life to the fullest!!!
Jen

Replies: 2 comments

Gosh, that was thoroughly mushy. Funny I enjoyed reading it as much as I did. :)

You know, as an interesting little footnote, had Greg not come down here in September, I'd have never met Jerri - and THAT is just a terrible thing to think about. I hope she and I can be as happy together as you two are!

Posted by Jason @ 02/19/2003 01:11 PM PST

What a lovely story! Sometimes patience is well rewarded....if you behaved like your dad...you could have had 7 unhappy marriages by now!

Posted by Mom @ 02/17/2003 03:20 PM PST