A Big Introduction

I originally intended on posting about Colorado first before the big news but for some reason I can’t get something out of my mind so I figured it’d be best to tell ya’ll the story.

If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw this picture a few days ago.

He’s the new man; the guy who has made me happier than I’ve ever ever been. It all happened real quickly, thanks to the Army. I remember saying I didn’t want to date into the military for a while when Tyler and I broke up…but sometimes you just can’t help fate. It knocks on the door and you run wild with it. Because Lord only knows when something this powerful and amazing could walk into my life again… if ever.

So here’s the story of how J and I came to be.

A few years ago when we both were still in ROTC we had some FTXs together up at Ft. McCoy… never thought anything of it, just acquaintances at that point. The summer of 2011 we both had an assessment camp (LDAC) for a month out at Ft. Lewis, WA to test our leadership capabilities before becoming Army Officers. Because we both flew out of Milwaukee and were the same regiment we ended up on the same flight back home.

I had turned 21 out at LDAC when in the field so he treated me to a couple drinks during our layover in Vegas. After a few shots of patron we passed out on the flight home, woke up in Milwaukee and carried on our merry ways.

We did manage to stay friends throughout the years and got together once for a Badger game. But I never thought twice about the possibility of him and I really. And I wish I had at the time but hindsight is 20/20.

We both had our own relationships the last couple years but when Tyler and I broke up he also found out he was deploying. In January he came to Madison and we got drinks and hours passed and it felt like minutes. The conversation we have is amazing and effortless.

J went out on a limb and told me how he felt about me when I met him for dinner in March. The rest is history. Since that day we have talked every single day. Because the urgency with the deployment and him leaving things were relatively rushed… and as much as I hate that he had to deploy the beginning of our relationship, it’s hard to say if we’d be at the point we’re at right now if he hadn’t been leaving.

Last weekend he flew me down to El Paso to see him off and it goes down as the weekend that will forever change my life. I’m sure many of you are thinking it’s impossible to be so sure about someone so soon, but the saying that ‘you know when you know’ is actually true. He’s my man… and I cannot wait to have him back home safely with me. That’s when all the real fun starts. As challenging as these months will be, it’s the thought of him and I together again that will make me hold on tight and strong every day.

Regardless of your stance on the military and the war we’re currently in, I please ask you to say a prayer (or a warm thought if not religious) for his safety, and for every man and woman overseas still. I would appreciate it greatly. Freedom is not free.

A soldier does not fight because he hates what is in front of him. He fights because he loves what he left behind.

So with the cat out of the bag, there will be more posts on here centered towards military and long-distance relationships. This week has been incredibly difficult on me emotionally (as I’m sure the next couple will be as well…) but once him and I find a groove and a schedule to talk it’ll be fine. Thank you all for your warm thoughts and congratulations to me. Every single heartbreak and sad day before he walked into my life was worth it.

Tell me: Any tips on distance relationships? Military relationships out there?