Part 1 of my “love story” was all about single life and this post is the next chapter, how I met the guy who would become my husband! Here goes…
Shortly after I ordered 100 calling cards in an attempt to shake up my dating routine, I got back on a few dating apps, including Tinder. If I’m being honest, my time on that app was mostly unpleasant, filled with many guys who did not seem genuine and didn’t share the same reasons for being on the app as me. Still, I just looked at it as a numbers game- the sheer number of people using the app meant eventually I’d match with someone interested in developing a relationship. I had met nice, sincere guys on dating apps before so I knew it was possible, I just had to wade through all the crude photos and people just looking for hookups (no judgements of those who use the app for that purpose, it just wasn’t what I was looking for, to each their own…but word to the wise, fellas, no lady wants to see unsolicited pics of your junk…but that’s another post entirely).
One Friday evening at the start of school vacation in February 2018, I was mindlessly swiping on Tinder when I came across the profile of a cute, interesting guy with not a shirtless selfie in sight- such a novelty!! When reading his profile, I learned he was from Virginia and almost didn’t swipe right (right= I like him, left= no thanks). Lots of people come to Maine for vacation and I wasn’t interested in starting anything with someone who didn’t live near me and in my experience, the people coming from out of state and using Tinder were usually looking for something casual. But, this farmer/beekeeper/world traveler from Virginia seemed intriguing so I made the fateful decision to “swipe right” and we matched (which means he “swiped right” on my profile as well).
(one of Farmer Man’s online profile pics…that smile!!!)
We ended up chatting on the app for about 20 minutes that evening, where he told me he was in Maine for an annual ice fishing trip with a high school buddy and would be going up North for the rest of the weekend. I said goodnight and honestly didn’t think it would go any further than that conversation. Still, the next day I decided to send one last message (knowing he probably didn’t have cell service where he was and I probably wouldn’t hear from him for a few days if at all) suggesting we meet up for dinner or drinks when he was back in southern Maine.
To my pleasant surprise, a few days later he sent me a message and we made plans for a dinner date. He asked if he could bring his friend with him since it was his last night in Maine and he didn’t want to ditch him. Normally, I would never have bothered to go out with a guy who lived so far away and who wanted to bring his friend along (kind of awkward), all on a weekday evening BUT I was on February break and something in my gut just told me to go for it! What did I have to lose?
*This is the part where I advocate for safe dating practices so I will point out that we met in a very public restaurant and I was sure to tell some close friends where I was going and who I was meeting and sent screen shots of his profile information.
I got to the restaurant first, as I always tried to do when going on a first date, and sat down at a table facing the door. Then came the nervous waiting to see if the person in the profile was the same in real life. In walked Farmer Man, his friend, and luckily his friend’s girlfriend, which would even us out and turn it into a little double date! My first thought was how handsome Farmer Man was and that he looked just like his photos (apparently he thought the exact same thing about me and his friend jokingly commented “as advertised” after he saw me in person, ha ha)!
(the local of our double date)
The four of us had a really great time and I just remember laughing a lot that evening and thinking even if this went nowhere, I had had a really fun date! Farmer Man walked me out to my car, kissed me goodnight, and said “I know I’m supposed to go back to Virginia tomorrow but if I stay another day, will you go out with me again?”. Luckily, this gal was on vacation from school and had a pretty open schedule so we made plans for another date in Portland the following day.
We spent all day together, walking around the Old Port, hitting up museums, window shopping, eating & drinking, and just getting to know each other. Although it was February in Maine, we had a rare 70 degree day, which only added to the awesomeness of the experience! I told him about the calling cards I had made and pulled one out to show him. He took it and laughed, seemingly impressed with my creativity, then put it in his wallet (where it still lives today). Even though we met online, I still believe those calling cards played a little part in helping him fall in love with me!
When he finally left to drive back home to Virginia, I remember crying and wondering why this awesome guy was sent into my life and yet he lived so far away! Little did I know it then but my life was about to change in bigger ways than I could have imagined. I’m so happy I said yes to a double date with three strangers on a cold winter Maine evening!
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