CHEAP, a bar in Tampa Florida 8/29/2008

HER STORY:

If you could tell me I was going to meet my husband at a bar I would have said “no way!”. It seemed the most unlikely of places. But when I think back, I’m pretty sure one thing alone changed both Tim and I ‘s fate, and that was Tim’s romantically bold move to ask for my number that first night we met. I had already left the bar and was at least two blocks down the way, walking home, when out of nowhere came Tim jogging after me to “ask for my number in case we were not to see each other again”.

HIS STORY:

I wasn’t even dressed to be out, or for that reason out in “South Tampa”. I had been on the beach all day, I was in my basketball shorts, just relaxing. But let me say I hadn’t drank too much, or should I say enough to rid my common sense, here in front of me, talking to me, was this gorgeous woman! I couldn’t let her just walk out of the bar and out of my life! I ran out of the bar, looked both ways down the street and saw her! And that’s when I did it, something I had never done before, ran all the way down the street to catch her, so that I would never let her go.

Two months!!

HER STORY

When Timi first asked me out it was “ Hey a bunch of us guys are going to the beach tomorrow how about you girls come along?” . I thought “Did he just ask me out? I mean I don’t want to go with a bunch of my girlfriends and his friends! This happened a few times, we texted back and forth for about TWO MONTHS. And let me tell you, TEN oclock would roll around and a text would come along and say “hey Liz, what are you doing?”. And all I would think is “ why is he texting me at ten, what am I doing? I’m going to bed!”. His phone would also DIE leaving me without a response for a full day! I didn’t know what was going on with him at the time.

HIS STORY INTERRUPTED…

In retrospect, yes it may have APPEARED like I was booty calling Liz at 10 at night, but as a computer programmer my night was just beginning! I thought casual atmospheres at the beach would be more welcoming. And yes, in retrospect, well lets just say maybe I should have done it a little different, BUT either way we finally made it happen.

HER STORY FINISHED

FINALLY, Timi said “ You wanna come over and hang out, I just moved to a new apartment”. But to me I was like, go to HIS place for the first date? No way! So under good counseling from a friend I made up that I couldn’t drive at night because of how dark it was and that I had bad vision at night – I mean why not MAKE it happen. Timi would have to drive 20 minutes to my place. So went our first date, a quick pick up at my place, a drink at ceviche, a drive down bayshore, and just plain good old talking until 2 am! It was all butterflies from there on in….

Clearwater beach, under a full moon :)

The Beginning

Ft. DeSoto

Yes. It had been a year of bliss but as we like to refer to them the “dark ages” lasted for seven long months.

How did we ever make it apart!

Timi moved to South Carolina and we hadn’t talked on the phone for SEVEN MONTHS. We had almost no contact during the time, and missed each other terribly.

Tim was in South Carolina. Liz was in Tampa. Then came the spring...

HER STORY:

I had a week vacation to Panama planned March 2010. My friend was living out in a remote island chain north of Panama City. With a small suitcase full of bathing suits I flew from Tampa to Miami. There at the airport all I remember is: "I’m sorry your passport expires one day before you come back from Panama and in Panama u must have a valid passport for three months". I was flabbergasted but in some way thankful as if my hold up was a sign I shouldn’t be going to Panama at all. And the first and only thing I could think about was Timi. I had a whole week off and there was no one in this world I wanted to see more than him. It had been a terrible seven months with a growing ache for him. Less then 12 hours later I was on a plane to South Carolina.

HIS STORY:

I was getting comfortable in South Carolina now, my work was good, I had met some new people. Liz texted me that Saturday in March, it came in as about 20 lines of text – I thought I was being spammed! Then when I actually read it "Tim, although seven months…ebs and flows…would you be open to seeing me?" I thought say what?? What does ebs and flows mean anyway?? What is this text all about? Liz? Really?? I was pretty surprised. I thought about it for a few hours, consulted my brother, then wrote back…”soo you are coming to South Carolina?” for which she said “well if you were open to seeing me” . This went on for a few more hours until around 11 pm when Liz said “ well, I don’t want to make you do anything you are uncomfortable with, ttyl, goodnight”. That’s when it hit me!! She can’t go to bed!! I could see her tomorrow!! And thats when she booked her flight and was here 8 hours later.

The distance is a challenge. From Tampa to Columbia the drive takes 8 ½ hours. Between trains, cars, and planes, Tim and I have traveled back and forth from Fl to SC over 40 times. Truly it is our greatest feat. It has forced us to grow in communication, understanding and patience. We hope that soon we will be able to live in the same place, but in the mean time we would like to think: "May there be physical distance, but never distance in our hearts".

Tim visited Liz’s parents first. Liz thought he was spending the weekend in D.C. when he was really making the trip to New Hampshire. In Albania, you might ask for a girls hand and offer the family farm, three goats, four chickens. A handshake sealed the deal, and Tim returned ready to propose. Then once more by the light of the moon, on the same beach they had shared their first kiss, on the stroke of midnight new years eve, Tim got down on one knee and asked Liz to be his wife.

It was 1/1/11

See engagement photos here