How Sparks Didn't Fly

Warning: This is not your usual tale of "we clicked immediately and fell in love." But after reading so many beautiful how-we-met stories, I'd like to share it anyway.

Once upon a time, I got into Yale. Parents, teachers, and even my logical self unanimously thought I should go there. But something just didn’t feel right, so I turned down Yale to attend my alma mater.

As a result, S and I ended up in the same small program in college, sharing a mutual group of friends. But it was far from love at first sight: he thought I was full of myself, and I referred to him as “that kid who says sorry all the time.” After the first time a friend wondered innocently whether S had a crush on me (he didn't), I returned to my room and said out loud, “PLEASE, God, don’t let me end up with him.” I am not one to talk out loud in empty rooms, which should attest to the deep level of my desperation.

I think at this point God must have been laughing heartily at me.

Fast forward a few months, and S and I discovered that we both had plans to study abroad in Madrid, though he was going a semester earlier. We started to talk more - about Madrid and Europe and our classes and our families and our dreams. It felt so natural that we never stopped. Without fully understanding why, I impulsively changed my plans, to the great surprise of my parents and friends, barely making the registration deadline, and followed S to Madrid.

On my first night in Madrid, we met for coffee and talked long into the unsleeping Spanish night. On the second, we watched flamenco and sipped sangria. On the third, he told me over churros and chocolate that he wasn't looking for a relationship for several years. (Told you this was not love at first sight).

I did not let this declaration discourage me. We continued to hang out and became a couple in everything but name. We danced, we shared food, we went shopping and I helped him pick out clothes. His host mom started referring to me as his girlfriend. And after three absolutely glorious weeks of flamenco and tapas and museums and theaters and dancing reggaeton until 6AM and decadent chocolate desserts, we made it official on Valentine's Day in the highest seats of the Theater of Zarzuela.

We've always believe that fate brought us together. But of course, it was more than fate. I had to leave behind all my friends and family to take a chance on him. He had to let go of his preconceptions about relationships to take a chance on me. And looking back on it, it was probably the best chance both of us ever took.


Where it all went down 2.14.2007


Happy S


Happy me...I lost that beautiful leopard scarf soon after.