this is the guy I met at the airport

Ahoy,

I haven't been anywhere new recently. But this year the tall one made the trip out to NYC for the February weekend. This is the guy I met at the airport. Going on 2 years ago I met this guy. This amazing guy. 

Every so often, I'll look over and I'm completely overcome with amazement and wonderment as to how this amazing, beautiful boy is beside me. I have so many 'pinch me' moments, I would be so bruised and blue if I acted on these moments. I know he had to get in a car, bus, train, and plane to get to me. That's how he's beside me. But there's so much more to it than that. There's hours upon hours of late night conversations, far too many days of sleepy awakenings, endless thumbed messages. And there were so many points in our interaction that could have resulted in something entirely different. So I guess my question really is, how did all those things happen in exactly, precisely the right way at the right time? I understand this is a question that will never have an answer. But let's count how many moments that might have resulted in someone else or no one in the above image. 

We met at the airport. Ridiculous #1. That one should be 5 kinds of ridiculous. I chose that day to give him my real name. Ridiculous #2. There are so many ridiculouses in our story, I wonder how on earth all of it happened. I made eye contact with a strange boy. I typically try to avoid eye contact with strange boys because they take that as an invitation to talk to me and ask for my phone number even though I have no interest in maintaining any sort of contact with them. Ridiculous #3. I fed him awful food, but he wouldn't admit it and ate it anyway. First rule of life, never take candy from strangers. Ridiculous #4. Despite A and I's half attempt at going ahead and losing him, it was only a half attempt. We even discussed our unsureness of whether or not we should wait. Ridiculous #5. I gave him my real phone number. Due to the above situations, I have more often than not given a fake name and fake phone number. Ridiculous #6. He dialed it in correctly despite the melodic hum of BART and hopped out at his stop just as the doors closed. Ridiculous #7. I picked up his call despite still being on the BART. I left my phone on silent and am not very good about picking up calls in transit. Ridiculous #8. I had rejected him the first time at the airport when I did not have a car like he was expecting. He persisted. Ridiculous #9. I rejected him the second time on BART when I needed to get back to study for my last final the next day rather than get food, despite what would probably have been A's delight. He persisted. Ridiculous #10. He called again after he returned from LA, and I had graduated. He actually called back. Ridiculous #11. I picked up and we had a conversation that was only mildly awkward as I flirted on the phone in the presence of my friends from home. Ridiculous #12. He met us for dinner - us meaning me and all my friends. Now this would be our 2nd in-person encounter. Ridiculous #13. Despite his distaste for spicy food, this dinner was Indian and certainly spicy. Ridiculous #14. Over the week, we continued the mildly awkward flirting in the presence of my friends. I left for home. For perceivably forever. Ridiculous #15. I would continue to go farther another 1,000 miles bringing the total distance between us to 3,000 miles, or a whole continent. Ridiculous #16. After about 2 weeks of conversation from different time zones, I somehow convinced him to get a plane ticket to see me in Chicago. I guess we weren't shaking each other. 

But do you see what I mean? Do you see all the ridiculous instances that had to be strung together for us to be building our future together? Everyday I can't believe that this amazing, beautiful boy traveled to me, and continues to travel to me. Everyday I can't believe we have made all these memories, embarked on all these adventures. Everyday I'm beside myself with amazement and wonderment that he is mine and I am his. 

adolescently adoring,

jt