To Boston & Back

last friday, aj and i hopped in the car and headed to boston to attend the wedding of two of my dear friends from college.  

rob & nicole are one of those couples who are absolutely perfect for one another. 

i met nicole my first week at gordon.  we were both freshman and on campus early for pre-season; her, track; me, field hockey.  we then discovered that we were both bio majors (she actually ended up with a degree in the subject, me, not so much), and stayed friends throughout our college experience.  eventually, we ended up in an apartment together our senior year and that's when our friendship solidified completely…nicole is one of those people who is crazy intelligent and who can hold a conversation about bioethics and then in the next breath be laughing hysterically at a youtube video.  she's passionate, caring, and intentional, and she made a gorgeous bride.  

i met rob our first year at gordon.  we lived in the same building and had some mutual friends.  i became friends with rob when our close friend group grew to include one another during our sophomore year, and then we both participated in a program that brought us into the same house during our junior year.  rob is also crazy smart (seriously, watch out for these two!) and so fun to be around.  once, after a huge nor'easter, rob agreed to drive a few of us all over the area just to look at the damage created by the storm and check out the swells from the waves.

their wedding was incredibly gorgeous.  it was all outdoors on a beautiful property and it was perfectly rob & nicole.  (plus, it was just wonderful to have the whole gordon gang back together!)

aj & i got up to the city on friday evening and we met his roommate, eric at this awesome cafe right off of the boston common.  i will be going back every time i'm in the city.  for real.  exposed brick walls, amazing lighting, great seating areas, a fireplace and bookcases stocked with antique books, high ceilings and exposed pipes.  such a cool atmosphere!

it occurs to me as i'm writing this post that i basically only took the same picture of aj and i the entire weekend.  as a wedding photographer, i try to be really really careful not to take my own photos during the ceremony of weddings i'm attending so i don't get in the photographer's way.  and then, once the reception rolled around, i was so busy catching up with people that i just didn't take photos.  oh well.

we spent a lovely morning in rockport on saturday.  if you're ever in the boston/north shore area, then you need to visit this quintessential coastal town.  walk all the way out bear skin neck, sit on the jetty, grab hot dogs and clam strips at top dog, have some chowder or a lobster at roy moore's, pick up some strudel at helmut's and coffee at the bean & leaf.  basically, just eat.  eat everything and it'll be wonderful and you can thank me later.

we make a pretty good lookin' couple, huh?  (p.s. this is my first maxi dress and i'm totally loving it.  i'm going to be living in this dress this summer.)

wedding selfie!  seriously though, this boy is adorable and my favorite and i think he's pretty fantastic.  he was such a trooper hanging out with all of my college friends.  he was so patient and made the weekend so fun for me!

we did a whole lot of driving last weekend.  driving the six hours north to boston and the six hours back, plus driving all over the north shore.  every time aj and i take a road trip, whether it be a weekend like this or just a day trip, i fall even more in love with him.  i remember our first day trip…it was about a month after we started dating and we went to baltimore for the day.  i felt like so much was riding on that day!  i was so nervous that it would be difficult to carry on conversation, that it wouldn't be effortless.  and now, almost two and a half years later, some of my favorite times have been spent in the car.  this weekend included.

The Date List: Boston Edition

since aj moved to boston to attend berklee, i've been fortunate enough to visit him a few times.  when i go up to visit, i try to make it as long of a trip as possible, and it's always awesome when i can visit for the better part of a week.

we're pretty chill when it comes to what we do, and we honestly usually end up grabbing dinner somewhere, walking around the city (or one of our neighborhoods when he's home in reading), and watching tv or a movie at home.  but like any girl, i like to go out on dates once in a while, especially when i'm getting to see my boyfriend who i haven't spent time with in a few weeks!  so here are a few date ideas that are on our list (or that we've done and loved) for boston.

1.  museum of science // astronomy nights

one of the things aj and i have always loved doing is stargazing, so the museum of science's free astronomy nights (hosted on friday nights from march-mid-november) is an obvious choice.  on clear nights, they offer free stargazing from the observatory on the roof of the museum's parking garage.  when the weather isn't cooperating, the museum offers after-hours tours of the observatory and fun astronomy-themed activities.  // funny anecdote about this date idea:  we actually tried to go to one in november and walked about four miles to the north end to grab dinner before we headed to the museum.  the restaurant we were going to had a line about half a block long and it was cold, so we ended up picking up dessert-to-go at mike's pastry (go here if you're ever in the boston area!!) and then casually walking back to the prudential center and grabbing dinner there.  it was only after we were seated at the restaurant that i looked at aj and exclaimed "astronomy night!".  we had a good laugh when we realized that we had completely forgotten about our original plan!

2.  north shore // take the train to rockport

i spent four years attending college on boston's north shore and know the area well.  aj and i have visited my old stomping grounds when we've attended weddings in the area, and one our favorite places to go is rockport.  it's about an hour-long train or car ride up to this little town, but totally worth it.  nestled on the coast, rockport is everything you could want in a quintessential new england town:  fresh seafood, salty ocean air, rock jetties, and one of the most photographed buildings in the country.  // fun fact: the scenes set in sitka, alaska from the proposal were filmed in rockport while i was in college just a few miles away!

3.  isabella stewart gardener museum // courtyard & galleries

while neither of us are huge art museum people, the isabella stewart gardener museum might be one of my favorites ever.  i've been, but aj hasn't, which makes this museum a must-go.  it's housed in this old mansion and is home to one of the most storied art thefts in recent american history.  but the reason it makes the date list isn't the art; it's the architecture.  this is one of the most beautiful museums i've ever been in.  it has a grand garden courtyard located in the center of the building that makes you wish you could live there and spend every day in this tiny oasis.

4.  prudential center // top of the hub

the prudential center sits in the heart of the back bay area of boston and is one of the tallest buildings in the city.  one of the top floors features an observation deck and restaurant with great views of the entire city below.  we've heard from one of aj's roommates that the restaurant has a fantastic (and affordable) sunday brunch menu and we've been hoping for an opportunity to go try it out. 

5.  fenway park // catch a red sox game

whether you're a fan of baseball or not, it's hard to resist the energy and excitement of a red sox game.  we love just walking around the stadium toward the end of games (aj lives just three blocks away from the stadium), and were even lucky enough to be handed free tickets to catch the last few innings once!  we also have enjoyed grabbing a burger at the bleacher bar, a tiny little spot located in the center field wall.  if you can't afford tickets to a sox game, i recommend snagging a table at the bleacher bar…the food is decent and you get to watch the game just feet from the grass!  but if you can snag tickets, do it, because this park is one of the oldest and coolest i've ever been in.  there's an incredible amount of energy that just pumps out of the park and no matter who you're rooting for, you'll have a blast.

do you live in boston?  what are your favorite date ideas for the city?  what's on your list of things to do?  what are your favorite date ideas that can be done anywhere?

THE DATE LIST: BOSTON EDITION

since aj moved to boston to attend berklee, i've been fortunate enough to visit him a few times.  when i go up to visit, i try to make it as long of a trip as possible, and it's always awesome when i can visit for the better part of a week.

we're pretty chill when it comes to what we do, and we honestly usually end up grabbing dinner somewhere, walking around the city (or one of our neighborhoods when he's home in reading), and watching tv or a movie at home.  but like any girl, i like to go out on dates once in a while, especially when i'm getting to see my boyfriend who i haven't spent time with in a few weeks!  so here are a few date ideas that are on our list (or that we've done and loved) for boston.

1.  museum of science // astronomy nights

one of the things aj and i have always loved doing is stargazing, so the museum of science's free astronomy nights (hosted on friday nights from march-mid-november) is an obvious choice.  on clear nights, they offer free stargazing from the observatory on the roof of the museum's parking garage.  when the weather isn't cooperating, the museum offers after-hours tours of the observatory and fun astronomy-themed activities.  // funny anecdote about this date idea:  we actually tried to go to one in november and walked about four miles to the north end to grab dinner before we headed to the museum.  the restaurant we were going to had a line about half a block long and it was cold, so we ended up picking up dessert-to-go at mike's pastry (go here if you're ever in the boston area!!) and then casually walking back to the prudential center and grabbing dinner there.  it was only after we were seated at the restaurant that i looked at aj and exclaimed "astronomy night!".  we had a good laugh when we realized that we had completely forgotten about our original plan!

2.  north shore // take the train to rockport

i spent four years attending college on boston's north shore and know the area well.  aj and i have visited my old stomping grounds when we've attended weddings in the area, and one our favorite places to go is rockport.  it's about an hour-long train or car ride up to this little town, but totally worth it.  nestled on the coast, rockport is everything you could want in a quintessential new england town:  fresh seafood, salty ocean air, rock jetties, and one of the most photographed buildings in the country.  // fun fact: the scenes set in sitka, alaska from the proposal were filmed in rockport while i was in college just a few miles away!

3.  isabella stewart gardener museum // courtyard & galleries

while neither of us are huge art museum people, the isabella stewart gardener museum might be one of my favorites ever.  i've been, but aj hasn't, which makes this museum a must-go.  it's housed in this old mansion and is home to one of the most storied art thefts in recent american history.  but the reason it makes the date list isn't the art; it's the architecture.  this is one of the most beautiful museums i've ever been in.  it has a grand garden courtyard located in the center of the building that makes you wish you could live there and spend every day in this tiny oasis.

4.  prudential center // top of the hub

the prudential center sits in the heart of the back bay area of boston and is one of the tallest buildings in the city.  one of the top floors features an observation deck and restaurant with great views of the entire city below.  we've heard from one of aj's roommates that the restaurant has a fantastic (and affordable) sunday brunch menu and we've been hoping for an opportunity to go try it out. 

5.  fenway park // catch a red sox game

whether you're a fan of baseball or not, it's hard to resist the energy and excitement of a red sox game.  we love just walking around the stadium toward the end of games (aj lives just three blocks away from the stadium), and were even lucky enough to be handed free tickets to catch the last few innings once!  we also have enjoyed grabbing a burger at the bleacher bar, a tiny little spot located in the center field wall.  if you can't afford tickets to a sox game, i recommend snagging a table at the bleacher bar…the food is decent and you get to watch the game just feet from the grass!  but if you can snag tickets, do it, because this park is one of the oldest and coolest i've ever been in.  there's an incredible amount of energy that just pumps out of the park and no matter who you're rooting for, you'll have a blast.

do you live in boston?  what are your favorite date ideas for the city?  what's on your list of things to do?  what are your favorite date ideas that can be done anywhere?

5 Tips for Dealing with Distance

I never dreamed that I'd be in a long-distance relationship.  I guess no one really ever does, but I definitely did not.  Let me preface this post by saying that I'm absolutely, positively no expert.  Heck, AJ and I have only been in this stage of our relationship for a few months.  But as someone who spent time on a daily basis (we worked together!) with her boyfriend, I'll tell you that being long distance has been an adjustment.

When AJ finally made the decision to transfer to Berklee and move to Boston, all of the excitement and support I had been feeling for him vanished for a minute.  I remember looking at him with tears in my eyes and asking "what's my role in this?".  I felt so lonely so immediately, and for me, it was hard to imagine where I fit into his life from a distance.  My mom once said that this was going to be payback for what she did to her mom (my parents met when my dad was living in Ohio for work, fell in love, and decided to get married; their relationship was mostly long-distance, and they missed one another so much that they moved their wedding up to December, just six months after they had met; people said she looked like the most miserable bride when she was planning the wedding, but it was only because she missed my dad so much!).

I was never really worried or afraid of putting some space between AJ & I...we've got a really solid relationship, communicate well, and rarely argue, but of course, I also wasn't excited about it.  It definitely helps that I'm sure that Berklee is where God wants AJ to be.  But it has taken some effort on both of our parts to make this transition an easy one.  So I'd like to share 5 tips that have really helped me move into a long distance relationship.

1.  Be intentional, be there & make time for one another.  Your life fills up, and the time you used to spend with your significant other will get claimed by some other part of life.  There have been times when AJ and I have been on the phone and can tell that the other one is distracted and those conversations are never as fulfilling or as great as the ones when we're both fully "there"!

2.  Make things special!  One of my favorite things to do is to send AJ mail.  He loves finding a card in his mailbox and I love knowing that he's getting to open a hand-written card from me!  I never tell him that I'm sending something so that it's a complete surprise.

3.  Stay busy!  For me, the times when I feel most lonely are when I have nothing to do, so I like staying busy and having something to tell AJ when he asks me about my day!  Specifically, my advice would be to invest time into things that you've either been wanting to do for a while or that fell to the wayside when you started dating.  Have you always wanted to learn a new skill or hobby?  Do it!  (P.S. being in a relationship should never be an excuse for not pursing things that you love, but let's be honest, sometimes knitting takes a back seat to watching a movie with your boyfriend)

4.  Be understanding.  Sometimes it's hard, but understanding that each of you have separate schedules and lives is essential.  There are times when AJ calls me because he's walking home from class and I just can't talk.  We've learned to be good about asking the question "is this a good time?" and not just assuming the other person is available.  And sometimes, there are just days when talking on the phone or video chatting just doesn't happen.  That's life.

5.  Plan visits!  One of the most fun things about being in a long distance relationship is the potential for traveling!  AJ's been home once since he moved, and it was great.  But what was even more fun was the trip that I took to Boston.  Since he lives with my cousin and another roommate, I was able to just stay in their apartment and we got to spend time exploring Boston and spending time just the two of us.  Traveling can be expensive, but be on the lookout for deals on bus and plane fares.  Sign up for email alerts from airlines.  I get emails from JetBlue boasting $59 flights all the time.  Planning your travel well can mean a relatively cheap, (and definitely memorable) trip!

Are you in a long-distance relationship?  What are your tips for dealing with the distance?

DEALING WITH THE DISTANCE

I never dreamed that I'd be in a long-distance relationship.  I guess no one really ever does, but I definitely did not.  Let me preface this post by saying that I'm absolutely, positively no expert.  Heck, AJ and I have only been in this stage of our relationship for a few months.  But as someone who spent time on a daily basis (we worked together!) with her boyfriend, I'll tell you that being long distance has been an adjustment.

When AJ finally made the decision to transfer to Berklee and move to Boston, all of the excitement and support I had been feeling for him vanished for a minute.  I remember looking at him with tears in my eyes and asking "what's my role in this?".  I felt so lonely so immediately, and for me, it was hard to imagine where I fit into his life from a distance.  My mom once said that this was going to be payback for what she did to her mom (my parents met when my dad was living in Ohio for work, fell in love, and decided to get married; their relationship was mostly long-distance, and they missed one another so much that they moved their wedding up to December, just six months after they had met; people said she looked like the most miserable bride when she was planning the wedding, but it was only because she missed my dad so much!).

I was never really worried or afraid of putting some space between AJ & I...we've got a really solid relationship, communicate well, and rarely argue, but of course, I also wasn't excited about it.  It definitely helps that I'm sure that Berklee is where God wants AJ to be.  But it has taken some effort on both of our parts to make this transition an easy one.  So I'd like to share 5 tips that have really helped me move into a long distance relationship.

1.  Be intentional, be there & make time for one another.  Your life fills up, and the time you used to spend with your significant other will get claimed by some other part of life.  There have been times when AJ and I have been on the phone and can tell that the other one is distracted and those conversations are never as fulfilling or as great as the ones when we're both fully "there"!

2.  Make things special!  One of my favorite things to do is to send AJ mail.  He loves finding a card in his mailbox and I love knowing that he's getting to open a hand-written card from me!  I never tell him that I'm sending something so that it's a complete surprise.

3.  Stay busy!  For me, the times when I feel most lonely are when I have nothing to do, so I like staying busy and having something to tell AJ when he asks me about my day!  Specifically, my advice would be to invest time into things that you've either been wanting to do for a while or that fell to the wayside when you started dating.  Have you always wanted to learn a new skill or hobby?  Do it!  (P.S. being in a relationship should never be an excuse for not pursing things that you love, but let's be honest, sometimes knitting takes a back seat to watching a movie with your boyfriend)

4.  Be understanding.  Sometimes it's hard, but understanding that each of you have separate schedules and lives is essential.  There are times when AJ calls me because he's walking home from class and I just can't talk.  We've learned to be good about asking the question "is this a good time?" and not just assuming the other person is available.  And sometimes, there are just days when talking on the phone or video chatting just doesn't happen.  That's life.

5.  Plan visits!  One of the most fun things about being in a long distance relationship is the potential for traveling!  AJ's been home once since he moved, and it was great.  But what was even more fun was the trip that I took to Boston.  Since he lives with my cousin and another roommate, I was able to just stay in their apartment and we got to spend time exploring Boston and spending time just the two of us.  Traveling can be expensive, but be on the lookout for deals on bus and plane fares.  Sign up for email alerts from airlines.  I get emails from JetBlue boasting $59 flights all the time.  Planning your travel well can mean a relatively cheap, (and definitely memorable) trip!

Are you in a long-distance relationship?  What are your tips for dealing with the distance?

Dear Boyfriend,

Today marked the end of a wonderful weekend together.

You were home from Boston for a long weekend and I tried to spend every possible moment with you. From getting up at 3:15am on Friday to drive to Philly to pick you up to staying at your house until almost 2am, I kinda sorta like spending time with you.

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was when we laid on the floor in your family room, 30 Rock playing in the background, just talking.  We talked a lot about the future this weekend; about a future shared apartment, future dinners cooked together, even a future puppy named after your childhood imaginary dog.  (I can't wait for that future, by the way).  My favorite thing about those little pillow talks?  The fact that we were planning a marriage, not a wedding.

I'm glad you're at Berklee and I'm glad you're learning a lot and that you love Boston (because I love it too!).  But I sure will be happy next time you're home again.

This weekend was perfect.  I hope it was just a glimpse of more to come.

Love,
Betsy

DEAR BOYFRIEND,

Today marked the end of a wonderful weekend together.

You were home from Boston for a long weekend and I tried to spend every possible moment with you. From getting up at 3:15am on Friday to drive to Philly to pick you up to staying at your house until almost 2am, I kinda sorta like spending time with you.

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was when we laid on the floor in your family room, 30 Rock playing in the background, just talking.  We talked a lot about the future this weekend; about a future shared apartment, future dinners cooked together, even a future puppy named after your childhood imaginary dog.  (I can't wait for that future, by the way).  My favorite thing about those little pillow talks?  The fact that we were planning a marriage, not a wedding.

I'm glad you're at Berklee and I'm glad you're learning a lot and that you love Boston (because I love it too!).  But I sure will be happy next time you're home again.

This weekend was perfect.  I hope it was just a glimpse of more to come.

Love,
Betsy

Why I'm Not Afraid of Long Distance

On Sunday, we moved AJ into his new apartment in Boston.
And on Monday, we got in the car, tears in our eyes, and drove away.

I'm not going to lie to you...I'm not thrilled about the fact that my boyfriend now lives six hours away.  But I'm not afraid of this new season.  And not because we're some wonderful, strong couple who could handle any amount of distance (please note sarcasm here), but because I'm choosing to look at this new adventure as just that...an adventure.

Of course there are cons to this whole little situation.  Skype is great and all, but I sort of like to hug AJ a lot.  But then there are the little weekend trips up to Beantown, the fact that he's getting a kick-butt education that will prepare him for his dream job, and the opportunity for both of us to grow.

I encouraged AJ to pursue Berklee from the beginning, and so I've always known somewhere in my mind that having him move was a real possibility.  But when he made the decision to go, it didn't feel quite real.  For a while, I was sad and upset about it, until it finally clicked that just as in any season of life, there are pros and cons.  And I was going to look for the pros in this one.

So I'm not afraid of long distance.  I know there will be times when it will be difficult.  I know there will be days when we miss each other more than words can describe.  I know there might be times when we even argue or feel frustration because of the circumstances.

But I'm excited.  I'm excited to find ways to be perfect for one another from a distance.  I'm excited for us each to grow and change in our own ways, and then to be able to come back together and have new and exciting things to share.  I'm excited to cherish the time we do have together more fully and to appreciate one another more.

I'm looking at this season as a time of preparation and a time of growth.  And I'm ready.

WHY I'M NOT AFRAID OF LONG DISTANCE

On Sunday, we moved AJ into his new apartment in Boston.
And on Monday, we got in the car, tears in our eyes, and drove away.

I'm not going to lie to you...I'm not thrilled about the fact that my boyfriend now lives six hours away.  But I'm not afraid of this new season.  And not because we're some wonderful, strong couple who could handle any amount of distance (please note sarcasm here), but because I'm choosing to look at this new adventure as just that...an adventure.

Of course there are cons to this whole little situation.  Skype is great and all, but I sort of like to hug AJ a lot.  But then there are the little weekend trips up to Beantown, the fact that he's getting a kick-butt education that will prepare him for his dream job, and the opportunity for both of us to grow.

I encouraged AJ to pursue Berklee from the beginning, and so I've always known somewhere in my mind that having him move was a real possibility.  But when he made the decision to go, it didn't feel quite real.  For a while, I was sad and upset about it, until it finally clicked that just as in any season of life, there are pros and cons.  And I was going to look for the pros in this one.

So I'm not afraid of long distance.  I know there will be times when it will be difficult.  I know there will be days when we miss each other more than words can describe.  I know there might be times when we even argue or feel frustration because of the circumstances.

But I'm excited.  I'm excited to find ways to be perfect for one another from a distance.  I'm excited for us each to grow and change in our own ways, and then to be able to come back together and have new and exciting things to share.  I'm excited to cherish the time we do have together more fully and to appreciate one another more.

I'm looking at this season as a time of preparation and a time of growth.  And I'm ready.

Girl Talk // Finding My Prince Charming

Warning:  This is the girl talk where I get mushy and stuff.  But then I'm going to try to wisdom-juke you at the end (like a Jesus Juke...Jon Acuff...Stuff Christians Like....no?) which will be hard to do since I'm neither wise nor experienced at life.  Here we go.

I've never shared the story of "us" (i.e. me & AJ) on my blog.  Honestly, there's not much of a story to it.  (I'm pretty sure he'd agree, so I'm not worried about offending him when I say that).

Truth be told, we ended up together as the result of being the "friends" that were drug along on outings and hang outs of two of our friends who were interested in one another.  We had known the other existed for quite some time, and only began becoming friends in the fall of 2011.

I started managing the band that he and my brother were both in, and so that led to texting about booking emails and account information, which led to texting about common interests like How I Met Your Mother, which led to easier conversation during those third and fourth wheel meet ups.

I wasn't expecting it to go anywhere...I had been hurt pretty badly by a guy just a few months before, and so our friendship began as just that...a friendship.  AJ would probably say it was more than just a friendship for him, and really, it wasn't long before he did mean more to me than just a casual guy friend typically would.  Like any giddy girl, I looked forward to his texts or to seeing him at church and at concerts.  One night, he asked me to hold onto his phone for him.  I ended up dropping it.  It was brand new.  Consequently, that was also the night his grandmother told his aunt that she could tell he liked me.

Sometime in early February, he invited me to a Super Bowl party at his aunt & uncle's house.  I accepted, went, and then spent most of the party upstairs hanging out with a friend who was not AJ.  He left without saying goodbye.

Soon after, he asked if he could take me to lunch.  That turned into making me lunch, and a short trip to Starbucks after which he declared that he had "a major crush" on me.  Then, we walked into a meeting together and didn't talk about it for another week.  Yes, awkward, but brilliant on his part.  He figured if I didn't share his feelings, then we couldn't talk about it for long.  And if I did, well that was great and we'd figure it out eventually.

"Eventually" turned out to be Valentine's Day, which is the most awkward holiday when you like a boy and he likes you back but you're not dating yet.  I cooked us dinner and he made chocolate covered strawberries that we never ate.  Over that dinner, we had a conversation that went something like "I don't want to act like we're dating but not actually be dating."  "Ok, then I guess we should just be dating then." "Sounds good."  Yep.  Romantic.  We spent the rest of the evening watching youtube videos of Jeremy Larson recordings and talking about music.

A year and a half later, I'm more in love with this man than I thought possible.  He's absolutely my Prince Charming.

But he didn't show up like I imagined.  Or like TV taught me to expect.  

It wasn't a drama-filled, one day I'm on cloud nine, the next I'm at the bottom of a pit emotional roller coaster that liking a guy can so often be.  We didn't lock eyes across a room and know at first sight that we belonged together.  If we went on a game show and were asked how we met or what our first date was, our answers might not even be the same.

I wouldn't say that our relationship is glamorous or even necessarily extraordinary. Most of our time spent together is spent at one of our houses, with family, cooking dinner, going for runs, watching Friends and doing work.  While we do go on little day trips and fun dates, it's not necessarily our norm.  AJ is my best friend, and I love life when we're together, no matter what we're doing.

Sometimes, I watch shows like the Bachelorette or movies about girls finding the guy and falling in love, and I get sad that my life, my relationship, isn't full of those extravagant dates or even the little bit of drama that I see on TV.  And then I have to slap myself because I realize just how dumb that sounds.

It's so easy to let your idea of a relationship get tainted and influenced by what movies tell us is the way it should be.  The truth is, Prince Charming rarely shows up on a white horse and rescues the girl from the evil witch or searches for her with just a glass slipper as a clue.

Real life relationship aren't like TV.  They're full of normal, sometimes awkward, real life.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

GIRL TALK | FINDING MY PRINCE CHARMING

Warning:  This is the girl talk where I get mushy and stuff.  But then I'm going to try to wisdom-juke you at the end (like a Jesus Juke...Jon Acuff...Stuff Christians Like....no?) which will be hard to do since I'm neither wise nor experienced at life.  Here we go.

I've never shared the story of "us" (i.e. me & AJ) on my blog.  Honestly, there's not much of a story to it.  (I'm pretty sure he'd agree, so I'm not worried about offending him when I say that).

Truth be told, we ended up together as the result of being the "friends" that were drug along on outings and hang outs of two of our friends who were interested in one another.  We had known the other existed for quite some time, and only began becoming friends in the fall of 2011.

I started managing the band that he and my brother were both in, and so that led to texting about booking emails and account information, which led to texting about common interests like How I Met Your Mother, which led to easier conversation during those third and fourth wheel meet ups.

I wasn't expecting it to go anywhere...I had been hurt pretty badly by a guy just a few months before, and so our friendship began as just that...a friendship.  AJ would probably say it was more than just a friendship for him, and really, it wasn't long before he did mean more to me than just a casual guy friend typically would.  Like any giddy girl, I looked forward to his texts or to seeing him at church and at concerts.  One night, he asked me to hold onto his phone for him.  I ended up dropping it.  It was brand new.  Consequently, that was also the night his grandmother told his aunt that she could tell he liked me.

Sometime in early February, he invited me to a Super Bowl party at his aunt & uncle's house.  I accepted, went, and then spent most of the party upstairs hanging out with a friend who was not AJ.  He left without saying goodbye.

Soon after, he asked if he could take me to lunch.  That turned into making me lunch, and a short trip to Starbucks after which he declared that he had "a major crush" on me.  Then, we walked into a meeting together and didn't talk about it for another week.  Yes, awkward, but brilliant on his part.  He figured if I didn't share his feelings, then we couldn't talk about it for long.  And if I did, well that was great and we'd figure it out eventually.

"Eventually" turned out to be Valentine's Day, which is the most awkward holiday when you like a boy and he likes you back but you're not dating yet.  I cooked us dinner and he made chocolate covered strawberries that we never ate.  Over that dinner, we had a conversation that went something like "I don't want to act like we're dating but not actually be dating."  "Ok, then I guess we should just be dating then." "Sounds good."  Yep.  Romantic.  We spent the rest of the evening watching youtube videos of Jeremy Larson recordings and talking about music.

A year and a half later, I'm more in love with this man than I thought possible.  He's absolutely my Prince Charming.

But he didn't show up like I imagined.  Or like TV taught me to expect.  

It wasn't a drama-filled, one day I'm on cloud nine, the next I'm at the bottom of a pit emotional roller coaster that liking a guy can so often be.  We didn't lock eyes across a room and know at first sight that we belonged together.  If we went on a game show and were asked how we met or what our first date was, our answers might not even be the same.

I wouldn't say that our relationship is glamorous or even necessarily extraordinary. Most of our time spent together is spent at one of our houses, with family, cooking dinner, going for runs, watching Friends and doing work.  While we do go on little day trips and fun dates, it's not necessarily our norm.  AJ is my best friend, and I love life when we're together, no matter what we're doing.

Sometimes, I watch shows like the Bachelorette or movies about girls finding the guy and falling in love, and I get sad that my life, my relationship, isn't full of those extravagant dates or even the little bit of drama that I see on TV.  And then I have to slap myself because I realize just how dumb that sounds.

It's so easy to let your idea of a relationship get tainted and influenced by what movies tell us is the way it should be.  The truth is, Prince Charming rarely shows up on a white horse and rescues the girl from the evil witch or searches for her with just a glass slipper as a clue.

Real life relationship aren't like TV.  They're full of normal, sometimes awkward, real life.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Dear Boyfriend,

Yesterday, we spent a perfect day together at the beach.  You seemed a little muffed when I suggested leaving at 8am, so I pushed it to 8:30, which ended up being closer to 9:15.  As my mother's daughter, my first instinct was to think "we're behind schedule!", but the longer we're together, the more I'm realizing how much better it is to forget the "schedule" and just live in the moment on these little trips that we take just the two of us.

Yesterday, we lounged, we walked, we ate, and we talked.  My favorite parts of the day were probably the three miles we walked on the beach and the six hours we spent in the car.  That seems like a long distance and a lot of time, but those types of things always seem to fly right by when I'm with you.  I loved asking each other silly questions like "What saying would you like to put into 1,000 fortune cookies?" and singing songs together from our road trip playlist.

I loved everything about yesterday.  I hope I remember it forever.

Love, Betsy

DEAR BOYFRIEND,

Yesterday, we spent a perfect day together at the beach.  You seemed a little muffed when I suggested leaving at 8am, so I pushed it to 8:30, which ended up being closer to 9:15.  As my mother's daughter, my first instinct was to think "we're behind schedule!", but the longer we're together, the more I'm realizing how much better it is to forget the "schedule" and just live in the moment on these little trips that we take just the two of us.

Yesterday, we lounged, we walked, we ate, and we talked.  My favorite parts of the day were probably the three miles we walked on the beach and the six hours we spent in the car.  That seems like a long distance and a lot of time, but those types of things always seem to fly right by when I'm with you.  I loved asking each other silly questions like "What saying would you like to put into 1,000 fortune cookies?" and singing songs together from our road trip playlist.

I loved everything about yesterday.  I hope I remember it forever.

Love, Betsy

A Random, Fun Little Date

I was super hyper last night.  AJ came over around 8:45 and I just wanted to get out of the house and go do something.  Unfortunately, there's not a ton to do in a small town at 9pm on a Sunday night.  When we decided to go to Wal-Mart of all places, I wasn't sure it would be the remedy for my energy.  But it turned into one of the best little random dates we've had in quite a while!

AJ found a Wal-Mart scavenger hunt online, and we proceeded to check off as many things on the list as we could!

This random little date turned out to be so much fun...we burned a little over an hour and had lots of laughs (and photos) to document our little adventure!  We found the link to the scavenger hunt here.  (we tweaked it a little to work for us!)

A RANDOM, FUN, LITTLE DATE

I was super hyper last night.  AJ came over around 8:45 and I just wanted to get out of the house and go do something.  Unfortunately, there's not a ton to do in a small town at 9pm on a Sunday night.  When we decided to go to Wal-Mart of all places, I wasn't sure it would be the remedy for my energy.  But it turned into one of the best little random dates we've had in quite a while!

AJ found a Wal-Mart scavenger hunt online, and we proceeded to check off as many things on the list as we could!

This random little date turned out to be so much fun...we burned a little over an hour and had lots of laughs (and photos) to document our little adventure!  We found the link to the scavenger hunt here.  (we tweaked it a little to work for us!)