2. Our Second Meeting (In England)!

After six long months of waiting, Skyping, missing and yes, even falling in love it was finally the day I was going to see my baby again. I sat on the delayed British Airways plane for two hours before it finally took off, and after another six hours we broke through the cloud and happened upon a sunny London. It felt surreal as I snuck glances out the window from my aisle seat; like something out of a storybook or a dream. That’s when the butterflies started; I got a little nervous wondering what it would be like to see him again after so long.

Josh had been eager to get out of the house and to the airport so by the time I got off the plane he’d been there waiting for four hours. A fact that I found very sweet. He said he got a nervous feeling too when he saw my plane had landed.

After the border people asked me about thirty questions which I happily answered, always eager to talk about the man I am proud to call my boyfriend, I took a subway (sorry –the tube-) to another terminal, then alot of escalators, then found the baggage claim all the while wondering if he’d be waiting there through the next set of doors. After gathering my bag and following the exit signs I finally found myself in the arrivals area. I didn’t see Josh at first but luckily he saw me and found me in the crowd. He looked so handsome; his dark hair gelled in that way he does it, a contagious smile, and, was he always that tall? We wrapped each other up in a long overdue hug and kiss. He smelled wonderful. I was so busy looking at my man that I hadn’t even seen the bouquet of lilies and pink roses he carried for me until after we broke from our embrace. As I took the beautiful bouquet from him and he took my million ton suitcase off of me I sure felt like the luckiest girl in the world (but then, I had felt like the luckiest girl in the world everyday since he’d come into my life).

Things felt natural, yet also a little first-date-like. I kept sneaking quick glances at him as he drove and stealing kisses. I twined my fingers in his and laid my head on his shoulder; these are the kinds of things you really miss when separated by computer screens. All the nerves had dissipated in that first airport hug and now we were just a normal couple driving down the wrong side of the road together. It was wonderful.

That first night I got to meet his family; they were all so warm and welcoming and made me feel right at home as I baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. We went to Cambridge and did a little shopping; went to one of Josh’s favourite eating spots – “Nando’s.” I was pleased with all the red phone booths and double deckers and the lack of snow. Josh had booked us a hotel in London for four days and planned a surprise date for us on Friday night. His dad dropped us off and then got lost for two hours trying to get home :p. It was fun getting into our best dress and sipping wine at the beautiful Royal Albert Hall listening to Christmas Carols. I got to meet many of his friends which were lovely. Did the Museum of Natural History, went skating, toured the Museum of Science, ate alot of pub food, saw Platform 9 and ¾ at King’s Cross Station, rode the tube all over London, saw Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and rode the London Eye… and my favourite London attraction – he took me to the Harry Potter Studio Tour! It was A-mazing! I bought matching Gryffindor hats for Josh and I and while he’s not really a Potterhead himself he said he’d wear it if it made me happy. I just love him J. He liked the tour so much that we ended up watching the Harry Potter series from the beginning over the next couple weeks. We’ll have to finish the next 4 via Skype dates :p. After the tour we got Starbucks; he tried my Chai Tea Latte and has become completely addicted to them.

We arrived back in his hometown after the H.P tour on Christmas Eve and spent Christmas day with a lot of his family. It was a really nice day getting to know everyone; you couldn’t ask for a nicer family. Some of them said it’s as if I’ve just been a part of the family forever. It felt really good to be so included and accepted. Unfortunately I came down with a wicked cold Christmas evening and spent the next few days taking it easy. Though it lasted the duration of the trip after that we still managed to visit more with his family and friends (I got laugh out of when one of his cousins innocently and loudly asked, “so do you have other boyfriends or just Josh?”), went golfing twice, went to a couple Cambridge United soccer games with his dad, played boardgames, ate a lot of Indian food, I took my man out for a nice meal at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant, we walked around scenic Ely and visited the Cathedral there, watched adorable home videos of Josh as a kid, looked through old photo albums with his mum, cooked together, cuddled, one night I gave him a back massage and on another night he blow-dried my hair for me at 2am, and watched alot of movies. I am now addicted to the show “the inbetweeners;” one night we laughed for ten minutes over an episode. Josh had to go back to camp the last week I was there but he came home every night save for one when he wasn’t able and of course he came home for our last weekend together.

I thought after spending 24/7 together we might be getting on each other’s nerves but the whole trip we got along really well and I didn’t wanna go home. Josh kept saying he was going to burn my passport and keep me there forever J. Sunday morning I was feeling a bit teary at having to go home and he told me “I don’t wanna see any tears.” So you can imagine my surprise when, after ten minutes of goodbye hugs and kisses at the airport security gate I looked up to see his eyes glistening and red. It was completely unexpected and it both broke and warmed my heart to see how much I meant to him. I of course then began getting choked up myself but we managed to pry ourselves away. I can still clearly see the look on his face as we watched each other and walked our separate paths. I had told Josh to look under his seat when he got back in the car and he said that’s what he did straight away and found a packet of beef jerky I’d hidden under there with a love note. I gathered myself together, made a quick stop at a souvenir shop and just barely made my flight home. As sad as it was to go home I couldn’t help feeling utterly happy at just having spent an amazing month with the most incredible boy, and knowing that we’d see each other again.

By the time I got home I had a handful of sweet messages waiting for me and he said he was already looking up flights to come see me J. I really don’t know how I ever got so lucky, but I am so thankful that one day when I was bored I messaged a handsome British boy on a dating site cause I thought he’d have a cute accent thinking nothing would come of it. And somehow, found the one person (other than myself) crazy enough to fall head over heels for someone who lives 3,000 miles away.

He is everything that I’ve always hoped to find in a person; he is thoughtful, loving, committed, fun, consistent, kind, handsome, modest, strong, funny, and yes, he has the cutest accent ;).

All dressed up for the Royal Albert Hall 🙂

   

Inside the Royal Albert Hall/ Flowers Josh brought me at the airport 🙂

Museum of Natural History!

Josh and I in the real live Hogwarts Great Hall 🙂

  Platform 9 and 3/4 at King’s Cross Station!

    

Phone boxes! / Some friendly dueling at the 9 and 3/4 shop 🙂

Found the tardis!

On the London Eye

Buckingham Palace

Umbrella Josh got me 🙂

  Skating 🙂