You've Got Mail {2024}

I actually wrote about this in 2010, which marked the 10 year anniversary of meeting Michael.  Then I reposted in 2015 for a link up.  And now I'm posting again in 2024 for SHARE OUR LIVES.  It has now been 24 years since we met, and we will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary in April.

Do you remember the movie You've Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks?  Well, this is our story...

Let's flashback to 1999...

I had been teaching for seven years and absolutely loved it.  I was very dedicated to my job, and that was really my main focus.  I worked long hours and couldn't imagine doing anything else.  I had a few dating relationships thrown in there, but nothing memorable and definitely not any marriage material.

I had bought my own house, and had a nice little existence with my cat and dog.  By this time most of my friends and co-workers had gotten married, so I have to admit it was a little lonely at times.  I was usually the third wheel at functions, but still had a fun social life.

During the summer of 1999, I took a 3 week vacation to England and Scotland...by myself.  (Little did I know I'd move there in 12 years!)  I rode the trains around with my backpack and had lots of time to think.  During all this solitude (amidst the crowds), I decided that it was really time to get on with my life...married or not.  I felt like I had sort of put things on hold waiting for the right guy to come along. It was time to live my life to the fullest when I returned to the states. 

What would that mean exactly?  I wasn't sure, but I was really done just waiting around for Mr. Right. 

So that fall, after turning 31, I placed an ad on Yahoo personals.  Of course, this was something I NEVER thought I would do.  But I thought I might meet someone interesting, since I seemed to have exhausted the blind date/church group route.  And it was completely free.

I only told my closest friends, because back in 1999, internet personal ads seemed to have a negative spin.  There was no eharmony or match.com.  I made sure to be extra careful with my personal information, and hoped for the best. 

Here's the nerdy school picture I posted with the ad.  (Gotta love that big hair.)

Anyway, I did meet some men through the ad, but there wasn't a Prince Charming that showed up that fall.  I had some fun dates, but also some creepy emails.  And can I just a give wise word of advice to anyone thinking of using internet personal ads?  There are A LOT of married men who use these.  It is just creepy.

So after Christmas 1999, I had endured just about enough of the creeps, but thought I would rewrite my ad and post it one last time.  I was ready to call this quits and just be happy by myself, if this last try didn't work out.  I almost didn't even put it on, but decided to at the last minute. 

On January 11, 2000, Michael replied to my ad with a brief email describing himself, mainly his taste in music and LSU.  After the initial email, he sent more info in a "Cliff Notes" version of his life.  I was beginning to be intrigued by this guy who had grown up in Europe and worked in Alaska and Azerbaijan as an adult.  He even got a little "sappy" (his word), telling me what he really yearned for from a relationship...to let his guard down and trust his life in someone's care.  Wow, this guy was really different.

Michael and I were going through the old emails the other night, just reminiscing.  I said, "You sure wrote about working out a lot!  I think you were trying to impress me."  Ha, ha...maybe so!

After emailing and chatting for awhile, we started talking on the phone.  By this point, I was getting a little nervous about meeting him...he just seemed too good to be true and to be honest, my life seemed a little boring compared with his!

On January 28, 2000, Michael and I went on our first date.  We met at Pappacito's for dinner.  When we met, I went to shake his hand, and he came in for a hug saying "I don't shake hands with women."  Oh brother, is that just the worst line or what?  Anyway, he was so cute I gave him a hug, and that cheesy line has been a running joke for us for many years now.

We had a great dinner and then went to see a movie (Magnolia...the weirdest movie ever!)  It was a wonderful first date, and I couldn't wait to see him again.  Aside from that initial cheesy line, Michael was a perfect gentleman during those first weeks of dating.  We took things slow and I began to see just how different this man really was!

After awhile, we just started to hang out together and do everything together.  It was really the first time I hadn't felt like I was "dating" someone; instead I had met my best friend and just enjoyed everything more if he was next to me.

I guess when you're a certain age and you meet the right person, you just KNOW its right.  We got engaged in October 2000 and married in April 2001.  And little Grace showed up in May 2002.  And the rest is history!  Thanks for reading the beginning of our love story.  

Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, 

LOVE gives us a fairy tale.

Linking to Share Our Lives with Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne, and Sarah