An eHarmony Success
There are two sides to every story and this is particularly true for love stories. Each story is different and each person has their own version of the story. Steven and I decided we would each tell you our side of our love story to give you a big picture of how we met. You can decide whose you like better…
Her Side 7 years ago, I (Megan) drove into Ingleside, TX with the intention of staying for 10 weeks, complete my college internship, have a fun new experience, meet some sailors and move on with my life. Two weeks in, my life changed.
For those who have never been, which I assume is most people reading this, Ingleside is a small town on the outskirts of Corpus Christi. It had a small grocery, a Whataburger (which just to be clear, is superior to In-N-Out), a few other fast food places, the Buckhorn (a bar), javelina pigs, and a Naval Base. A small one. Prior to this my experience with the military had been slim. I knew some older veterans, a few ROTC guys from college, and a few that had gone on to the military after high school, but no real everyday experience with active duty men and women. And now I was not only working with them every day, but living on base. I was housed in the on base hotel which was the bottom floor of the barracks building.
My internship started and I was working for Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) in the single sailor department. That was perfect for me in my eyes as I was also single. I met many single sailors while at work, but got pretty bored everyday after work.
At 21, I was not looking for a husband. I was actually job hunting more than man hunting, but I was bored…so why not try eHarmony? Even if it only provided a few laughs, sure why, not?! I decided to give it one month. There were a few guys I messaged with, but no one really appealed to me until I saw a sailor who happened to also be in Ingleside. We went through the whole communication route they set up and finally started talking on the phone. As it turned out, he was a sailor that often came to the building I worked in and lived one floor above me.
We hung out for the first time just a few days after beginning to talk and saw each other everyday we could until my internship ended two months later. I finished up my internship and packed my car and drove back to Indiana.
I had a huge decision, did I find a job in Indiana near all my friends and family or do I take a leap of faith and move, without a job, back to Texas? The decision seemed like a no brainer to me. I was in love and had nothing to lose. I had to take the big risk. Even if it ended in pain and hurt, I had to try. So three weeks later, I headed back to the tiny town.
This was when life got real. I discovered how little I had and how little I needed. I was able to find a job that just paid the bills. Turns out, I didn’t live alone long though. Steven and I were married in August, exactly 6 months after meeting for the first time.
His Side In the early 2000s while in Bible school I had an epiphany, a dream, that I would marry a blonde girl from the North. I didn’t know what that meant. Like, at all. I’m not a prophet or sorcerer. So I figured I had indigestion.
Skip forward past boot camp, Dam Neck, VA., arriving in Ingleside, three deployments and screech to a stop in early 2008.
I joined eHarmony to find love. However, none of the contacts were willing to relocate. In fact, I was going to delete my account when I saw a gal named Megan, interning in Ingleside.
Hmmm. Interesting. I proceed in completing the protocol check list of likes and dislikes and common interests and all that good stuff. After the steps to get to open communication and I started to get to know this mystery girl.
We emailed and I decided, in vulgar shallowness, that if this girl was a “typical” Ingleside girl (missing teeth, stringy hair, overall gross) I wouldn’t talk to her anymore.
We got comfortable enough to exchange phone numbers and in the evening I’d make it a habit to call this intern named Megan. I’d stand outside my second floor barracks room, smoke a few Camels, and talk to her.
A really weird event happened. My buddy Ryan, who had a car, got back to the barracks from the ” called Wal-Mart and came to me and asked if I was talking to Megan. I told him I was. Ryan proceeded to tell me that Megan was on the first floor, of OUR building, outside her room.
I was floored. I asked her what building she lived in. She told me. It was indeed my building! I asked her what floor she was in. The first floor, she said. I was in the second floor!
Then, in boldness and fear, I asked if she wanted to meet me. She said yes. I was floored! I told her I needed to shower and all and if be there in like an hour. Side note: as a smoker, you smell. Your breath, your skin, your clothes. I used to smoke two cartons a week! I should know.
In my shower, I used almost my entire bottle of soap. I used up an entire bottle of mouth wash and almost a full tube of toothpaste. Ryan let me blow in his face to make sure my breath smelled good.
Then, I descended down the stairs and stood in front of her door. When she opened her door, my heart went all a flutter! There in front of me was the most beautiful girl in the world. She was perfect. I knew I was in love with her from the first time I met her.
Fast forward: under ways, sonar school, a few dates, an idiotic plan. I dropped Megan off at a Barnes and Noble. I decided to propose. But I was scared!
Megan, being from Indiana, was miles from home and family. After returning to Ingleside, due to graduating college, she was working on base. Her parents were in Indiana and like a gentleman, I was going to ask her dad his blessing.
Tim is a teddy bear. He’s awesome and loving. Lori is amazing too and I love both of them. But, at that time, Tim, in my eyes, was like a Norseman, mountain tall, vicious and scary. All he needed was a helmet with ram horns in it, a beard to his knees, a necklace made of human bones and skulls, and a massive axe or sword waiting to be bloodied as he whacks my head off and raising it high in victory.
So I was terrified! I called home and told my brother my plans. He was all for it! He loved Megan. Dad was encouraging. Mom, she was more aggressive. “If you really love her and want to marry her, grow a pair and ask her dad,” my mother said. Yes ma’am is all I could say.
Fast forward a failed meal at Outback (location of first date), a successful dinner at Logan’s steakhouse, failure to get to the beach for sunset proposal, screaming.
Texans like to shoot guns and drink. Megan was screaming a “yes!” in my asking her to marry me. A crowd of folks came running to the proposal spot, ready to protect and defend. When they showed up, murder and “dispose of body” was in their eye. But when we said we were literally just engaged like two seconds ago, celebration overcame the Texan crowd and the took a few pictures on my amazing disposable Kodak camera.
Seven years ago, God put my blonde girl from the North in my way. He pushed us together. Brought us together. I fell in love that first time I meet Megan.
We’ve endured three deployments, moving from Indiana to Texas to California, four homes, three kids. We’ve been each other’s support in loss. We’ve celebrated lives. We’ve had our ups and downs. But, I wouldn’t want to go through this life with anyone else. I married my best friend.