From the Top

Alright Michelle.  I figure I still enough of your pictures and post ideas that I owe you your request for our love story.  Although, I have to warn you- it isn't short, it is full of complications and therefore, it may take me forever to finish.  We'll see how far I get tonight.

Oh, before I start, I will tell you that Andrew will NOT be giving his version (not necessarily due to his lack of cooperation, rather my lack of letting him) because HE LIES.  I may inject his vain, wishful thinking as it applies, but that will be about it.

Here goes:
It is my junior year in college at Weber State University.  My original plan was to attend live at home, commute to Weber for a year, work part time to save a little money, and then leave for the study abroad program in Jerusalem.  One month out of high school, I enrolled to Weber, skipped my freshman year due to ridiculous AP credits and entered into college as a sophmore.   I finished my generals in a semester and started the teaching program the next semester.  Still planning on going abroad, I finished my required courses/testing and was accepted into the program immediately.  I was scheduled to leave on my birthday.  Preparations were made as far as packing goes, but one week before we were to leave I received a letter in the mail that the program had been cancelled due to safety and there was no plan for reopening.  My options:  go away to school, most likely to Utah State where I had scholarship opportunities and my best friend from High School was studying, or stay at home doing what I was doing and finish my teaching degree.  Guess what I did- I stayed.  Scheduled to graduate in less time than expected, I met with my program councilor and found out I was one credit short in social science.  Only option: a night class in geography something or other.  So, of course, extremely focused as I was-I did it.  The class met immediately following my rock climbing class- the one and only "fluff," adventureous class I took (FYI I wish I had taken more, so if you have the option- DO IT, something, ANYTHING!  You won't regret it.) and therefore, you can imagine how I came to class most often.  Climbing clothes and pulled back hair, once or twice even a hat (which will play into the story later.)  And, being the over achiever that I was/am, you can guess where I sat every class- front row.  Now I consider myself a sociable person.  Don't have any problems striking up conversations, etc.  But, my main problem lies in motivation.  In a mandatory night class that has nothing to do with my degree, not so much motivation.  I conversed as much as was required not to look anti-social, stuck up, or akward but that was about it.  Problem #2 centered straight on the opposite gender.  I had dated everthing from arrogant and over confident to obsessive and stalking and more often than not, regardless of how they started out, thy ended up in the later category.  I was looking for nothing when it came to relationships, and I mean NOTHING.   I'd never had a boyfriend up to that point.  I probably should have been more concerned about that, but nope.  Lots of reasons, way to many to explain.  But, that is probably enough background on me.

And now Andrew.  You could say that as far as background goes, he and I were complete opposites.  Only home from his mission for one year (to the month), his objective was to get by with the LEAST amount of effort required.  He attended Weber State before his mission, but his effort was even smaller at that point (let's be honest, it wasn't effort that was the problem, just what he put his effort on.  Need I say more?) and therefore, he was in the process of taking, pretty much all of his classes over again.  (Another FYI for all you applicables: he REGRETS this COMPLETELY!)  His goal was to attend the BYU business program, but in order to do that he had to get his masters from Weber, and do do THAT, he had to actually try.  He worked full time, at the time, so most of his classes were night classes.  See where I am going?  Yep, geography something or other.  Only he was the come late, if at all, sit on the back row type.  Equally capable of socializing, his motivation was probably about equal, if not less than mine.

First notice of each other: 
I remember leaving class one night, fairly early on in the semester, I briefly glimpsed a guy in the back row leaving, wearing a red Gap hoodie.  I saw him from the side and I remember thinking, "he has a BEAUTIFUL face."  Andrew is now protesting..."beautiful????"  By beautiful I mean: chisled features, perfectly square jaw line, tan, muscular (yes, his face), straight white teeth, fuller lips...I am making you all uncomfortable aren't I...awesome profile.  I probably didn't put as much thought as that into it at the time, but you get why I noticed.  But, just that.  Noticed.  I didn't regester anything beyond that.  Didn't even look for him again.  Honestly, I was looking for nothing.

Him...he will claim to have noticed my face first as well, particularly my eyes (which he is rather fond of), but you'll have to ask him details beyond that.  The irony was that, apparently the first time he saw me, I was wearing my tan floppy hat.  How much of a person's face can you see with a hat on?  And from behind?  Maybe he just liked the hat.  Either way, it got me the introduction (a few classes later).  I've probably only worn that hat three or four times EVER (twice that will play into this story), but needless to say, I still have that hat.

...and he still has that hoodie.

Stay tuned for: Extra Credit