How Did It All Begin??

Wow!! ~ Such inspiring stories, I love this place 
'aricarai' ~ Your tale of romance was a beautiful one, great read, hun!
Seems there are a fair few David's about here, and I'm about to add mine
to the list tomorrow

Wow!! ~ Such inspiring stories, I love this place 
'aricarai' ~ Your tale of romance was a beautiful one, great read, hun!
Seems there are a fair few David's about here, and I'm about to add mine
to the list tomorrow

Aww, thanks! I'm looking forward to reading yours as well!

Wow!!! what an AMAZING story!!!! )  (

love the stories here..as for myself
I went to the UK to visit my exroom mate who met an married a Notts guy, my kids were all gone on their own an I was a young widow..decided to take my dream trip..my 3rd day met my now DH outside a pub having a cig we talked he ask me to have a drink, then for a date, 3 wks later he asked me to marry him..I fell head over heels when I met him. we were married in Feb here in the states, now I am waiting for my visa (any day now) so I can get my ticket an fly back to him..

I met my bf 20 years ago when I was 20 and he was 21. He came over to perform in a musical group i was in. We had the same friends but never really talked. He says he had a huge crush on me back then...

Fast forward to 2009 when he found me on facebook. Things started to grow in Jan 2010 and we just finished our second face to face visit today. Looks like a move will be in my future someday!!!

This thread brings home just how lucky we all are, we go through so many battles to be together and I really do think it takes a special couple to endure what we all do.

I met Steve on facebook playing a game called Knighthood, we met through a mutual friend on the discussion board and the attraction was instant. The main problem was that I was still married, I had been with my husband since I was 17 and had lived a pretty sheltered life. I was unhappy in the marriage and had been for some time but we had 2 children and I always strived to make the best of what I had. Until it got to the point where I realised that I had these feelings for Steve and they weren't going to go away. I felt like I was cheating on my husband and in October 2008 I asked him to leave which he did.

At this point I had no idea whether mine and Steve's relationship was going anywhere, not only did we have the hurdle of the distance but we also had another huge hurdle. I am 15 years his senior and at the time he was 20 years old, living at home with his religious parents and attending college. We knew it wasn't going to go down well with either of our families.

By March 2009 things had got so intense we were spending 24 hours a day on the computers and phone to each other and it was getting unbearable, the need to see each other in real life, so Steve booked a flight to the UK for the May 2009 and took the plunge and told his parents he was coming to see me. At this point they didn't know a great deal about me other than I was this older woman from England. They pretty much freaked but said he had to do what he wanted and suffer any consequences.

I was ill on the day of collecting him at the airport, "what the hell am I doing?", "what if he doesn't feel the same when he gets here?" and "this could end in disaster and I have torn my family apart" were just some of the thoughts running through my mind.
The minute Steve walked through the terminal and came up to me my mind was put at rest, the feelings were there every bit as much in real life as online if not more.

Steve stayed 10 days with me and we had the most amazing time. It was hell saying goodbye at the airport and as soon as he got back he booked a flight to return in 6 weeks and came and stayed the summer with me. He came a couple more times and then in December 2009 when he was here for Christmas he lost his job that had been so flexible and we decided he should stay with me until the end of his 6 months he'd been stamped in for and we settled into a fantastic routine and got a real taste of what living together would be like.

We had some rough times, my ex went bankrupt and I nearly lost my house. I was made redundant and money was so tight it wasn't funny but we got through it all and came out of each challenge together and smiling.

Steve proposed to be on 1st June this year, 5 days before he had to leave me. I have never been so happy. I went out to the States at the end of June for 3 weeks, I just got back. I met all of his family and friends and they were all amazing. I was treat like a princess and made to feel a part of the family and so was my son who I took with me. While out there we applied for his fiancé visa which was accepted and he is flying back to the UK on Tuesday. We're getting married on December 15th this year and both families will be there and are as excited as we are about our future together.

No matter what, despite the hurdle of the distance and our age gap, we have managed to overcome the obstacles and we both feel as though we have some direction in life now. That feeling of not knowing where this is all going has gone and I have never been happier. My children adore Steve, my family adore him and I now feel adored by his family after the 3 week visit. I always thought acceptance by them wouldn't bother me but deep down I was kidding myself.

Lol, we met because I work in finance and his company was thinking about expanding  to New York. It started out as business emails and he was just so funny! He then casually at the end of work emails would sort of ask me little questions, like if I was in a relationship and such. And then he was sent out to New York for a year to make the transition easier and at first it was business but then he asked me out to dinner and we've been dating ever since-for 3 years now lol. And then he proposed to me about a month ago on a visit to see me here in New York.
And no, at first I thought he would just be nice to flirt with since I was newly divorced, but little did I know I'd grow to love him a thousand times more than my previous husband 

I looooooove telling a story so here's mine...

“He’s a really nice guy” said my friend. Isn’t that always the curse of death? Especially as a late 30s, never been married, independent, career woman type – that’s me. A girlfriend’s husband was at the same conference as my now BF.  She met him the night before I arrived and actually had him leave me a late night, post multi-cocktail voicemail.  To which I wondered “why is she having some Australian guy leave me a voicemail.” (his accent gets a liiiittle distorted after some cocktails).  I heard all about “this English guy” the following day and seriously thought this would be another dud.

We finally met that evening at a casual cocktail time with plenty of other people. I agreed he was nice, but we didn’t initially hit it off. Then the Formula 1 topic came up. I’m a fish out of water being an F1 fan in the US. So I dived in. And then I realized that my friend’s proclamation was right. He really was a great guy. The next night it was a first date (overlooking the ocean in San Diego…not bad!) talking about everything under the sun and immediately realizing how much we had in common. From there it took off and hasn’t stopped.

It’s been 14 months of instant messaging, skype-ing/truphoning, etc. 6 going on 7 visits back and forth, including him surprising me with a visit for New Years. And there have been introductions to family, friends and lives. We’ve shared hopes, dreams, imperfections, stupid stories, random thoughts and golf clubs . He’s got a wonderful daughter who is very much part of the picture and who I am getting to know and anxious to spend more time with.

I’ve had other serious relationships but this has proven to be “like its supposed to be” – as people always say. I’m continually amazed at the security and comfort we have in knowing the other is in our life. I swear he knows me better than I know myself – cliché but so true.  I’m happy to report we are in the planning stages of me going to Notts in early 2011 on tourist visa, spending some time under the same roof and then moving on to fiancee/spousal visas and all of that fun.

Kudos to this forum for keeping me sane on the topics that are so much a part of my future.

Awww!! I LOVE this thread!! I had like the perfect "Hollywood movie" romantic meeting with my amazing guy!!

I have to back up though to the tragedy BEFORE I met Dave! I was in a relationship for a total of 6 years (married a little over 3 years of that 6) My ex-husband was VERY narcissistic and emotionally abusive that in the last year of our marriage started becoming physically violent). It finally had come out that my ex and my best friend were having an affair and my ex decided to file for a divorce from me in to be with my supposed "best friend" (the divorce went through August 28th, 2009). I left what used to be our home with very little to move into a small apartment (I didn't want the stuff or the memories and THANK GOD I wasn't on the house because of the economy crash he is stuck with a money pit!). It was all VERY "Jerry Springer" like, just without the show!

So I was on my own completely lost and hurt and shocked but had wonderful support from family and friends to keep me going. In the beginning of October, I had a mutual friend of my ex-husband and his wife call me: "I know this is totally a last minute thing, but we found an insanely cheap vacation packet to Cancun Mexico and you HAVE to come with us!" (This insanely cheap package was 7 nights in a hotel, all inclusive food and drinks plus round-trip airline tickets for $900!! Incredible!) I took a look at the package and after strong nudges from my mom and friends to just "get out and let loose and leave your troubles behind for a while" I agreed to go and purchased the tickets!

The night before I went (Halloween) I partied then FORGOT to update my phone to the time change and actually MISSED my flight to Cancun the next morning! So I was a day late in getting there, but boy was I glad I missed it! Because I was tired from the all day travel, we decided to stay on the resort (Which by the way is called "Temptation Resort" LOL!) and dance in their little club room. This is where I locked eyes for the the first time to the man that would steal my heart! I was dancing on the dance floor when I looked towards the bar and Dave was sitting there watching me (Dave says he was sitting by the bar socializing and noticed me earlier sitting down a ways from him and "kept tabs on me") We flirted back and forth till he motioned me to come over to him which I complied with (Dave: and I TOTALLY regret because I should have treated her like a lady and came to her!) We talked, laughed, etc. Then all the sudden these 3 other ladies came walking in grabbed his attention, etc. after a few awkward minutes of just sitting there I got up and went back to my friends a we all walked out to the resorts outdoor cocktail bar. Around an hour later Dave and his friend showed up there with the 3 ladies with them. I waved at him and tried to give a cute smile, but he never waved back and that's when I decided "Fine! There are plenty OTHER fish in the sea!" (but I was secretly jealous that he didn't seem to notice me!) Dave says: OHH I noticed, but I if she was waving at me and was trying to figure out if she was in Cancun alone or with someone!

After a few drinks, we all went to bed (Dave says: I looked up and all the sudden she was gone! Dave says I went missing for two days (I laugh because he walked by me at least a dozen times in the 2 days) then the 4th day I ran into Dave's friend walking into the club and he was like "Oh my gosh it's YOU!!" (I'm standing there a little scared and confused! LOL!) Dave's friend nudges Dave  and Dave all excitedly asks me in his cute little Brittish accent "where have you been!? I have been looking for you for the last 2 days! You stole my heart the first night, then disappeared with it and I've been looking for you ever since!" (it was REALLY cute!) I grinned, told him that he seemed pretty preoccupied (pointing to the 3 women who were in tow.) Then he tells me "NOOOO they are just people we met on the plane here and are just friends! I would NEVER have any interest in them!" So, over my last days in Cancun we were together every day and OMG the man is an AMAZING kisser! I don't know if it's the accent but WOW! I melted! I suppose it could have been the romantic atmosphere...Ocean, beach, night sky and twinkle lights...But I was smitten!!

I went home and we kept in touch via Skype, Facebook, etc. He came to visit me for a fantastic 4 1/2 week (because of the volcano blow in Iceland he was stuck with me another week!! LOL! Were were both very grateful to the Volcano!) I spent an amazing week in England then a FANTASTIC week in Greece with Dave where he proposed!

Now, we are praying for my visa to hurry up and get in so I can get over there and marry him! We have been together now for over a year and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him!! I can now say I know what true love really is! (Sorry for the LONG story!! I tried to shorten it!)

Ohh I forgot to mention that Dave told his friend the VERY first night he met me that he knew he was going to marry me! LOL! It was a BIG deal at the time because Dave had a bad break up to and was swearing up and down that he was never getting married again and wanted to be single for a long time! LOL! So much for that right!? (I was saying the exact same things! So I guess it was meant to be!)

How did you meet your husband/wife or Boyfriend/Girlfriend?

Online, through a social forum - which is now defunct. The site I mainly posted on was a sister site to a site he now owns. I had joined it in May 2003 and posted my picture in the picture thread and he had commented and that was about it. I was currently in a relationship, so (as he tells me now) didnt pursue anything else because he didnt want to be creepie.

Flash forward to April 2004, that relationship had ended and I had sworn off relationships for the time (it wasnt the best break up). It was a saturday night (well for the US) and he had stumbled home drunk from the pub and sent me a message via AIM and yelled at me for not being online enough. I politely explain I didnt use MSN and only used AIM at the time, which is why I was never online. We start talking and talking and talking. We talked for about 8 hours that night and he decided he need to get sleep/food in and I did as well.

After about a week of non-stop chatting, he decided to book two weeks off from work to visit me in August 2004. After his visit, we both started to look into our options for being together. At the time, his type of work wasnt readily available (hes a Linux administrator for an ISP and most of the US was still on MS servers) and was struggling finding suitable sponsored work, so it was up to me to make the move.

I was lucky because my mother is British, so I decided to explore my options for birth right as an adult (my mother tried, but at the time my sister & i were ineligible thanks to sexist laws) Found out the laws changed in 2001 and I could obtain my UK citizenship and passport. My application was sent off in late Nov 2004 and accepted at the beginning of Jan 2005 - with a ceremony at the NY Consulate in Feb 2005. I moved over in late April 2005 and dont have any plans to go back.

In the first 3 years of our relationship, I lived in 3 different countries (US, Republic or Ireland and England) and loved it. Now for the last 4 weve been settled here and quite happy. What the future may bring who knows (partner has recently been offered work in Denmark & Munich) but Im glad we can take the ride together.

Did you know from the start that they was going to be your love for life?

YEAP. After our first 8 hour marathon IM session, I called my mother and said 'What would you do if I moved to England' she just laughed... Though she told me later on she was scared, but couldnt stop me because she had done something similar (met my Dad while working abroad in NY from Nov/Dec 1971 and they were married by July 1972)

We met on Plentyoffish! I went on there to meet a few new friends before I went over there for two months. I totally went on there clearly stating that I was looking for platonic friends. But he was different, and we hit it off right away. We've been inseparable ever. Since. Met in September, face to face in October, were engage late October and got married in January. I was not one for whirlwind romances and have a few friends who'd done the same thing, but NEVER thought it would be me. :-)

Dh and I frequented a Star Trek chatroom back in the day.  We both had a ton of friends there and we all decided to go to a Trekkie convention.  We flew in from all different corners of the globe and had a great time together.  Dh says he fell head over heels in love with me, but I had no interest.  After the convention, he asked if he could visit me in the States and I told him sure, why not.  I had no idea, but he meant that WEEK!  We spent a very awkward week together and finally, I sat him down and told him to go home, to forget about me and that it would never work.  He told me he cried himself to sleep that night.   

Well, over the next year, he still kept in touch with me.  We saw each other in the chatroom all the time.  Some really hard stuff happened to me that year and he was always there to listen to me and be there for me.  I can't imagine how hard that must have been for him.  But, he never complained and never pressured me.  Slowly, I began to realize that I looked forward to hearing from him every day and when he wasn't around I was disappointed.  I was in college at the time and had no where to go for Thanksgiving, so he offered to pay for my ticket and come see him in England.  I was so nervous.  I remembered how awkward it was when he was in the States, but after saying no a few times, I finally relented.  As soon as I saw him waiting for me in Heathrow, I realized I had fallen for him too.  We spent an amazing week together and at the end of my visit he proposed to me and I said yes.  We were married in the States (and had a 2nd ceremony in England) 6 months later.

10 years and 4 children later, we are still happily married!  I've been so blessed with this amazing man and look forward to many, many years together.   

Ah, have to give my story, as I still find it so full o' fate --

I moved to the UK from the US as a single girl with a nutter dog, after many trips to solo trips. Upon arrival, my very good friend (who'd I'd previously met on one of those said trips) picked Star and me up at the airport. We shopped for my flat, had lunch, celebrated the arrival with champagne, then he went home.

Still amazed that I was actually here -- and not needing to leave in two weeks! -- I went to check out my local pubs. (I suspect the champagne and wine previously drunk all day encouraged the giddiness.)

The first one was very (a-hem!) local and just men -- a bit uncomfortable. I went to the one next door where I saw DF outside. My liquid courage kicking in, I went up to him and said, 'You're cute. You're going to talk with me.' And talk we did for hours...and haven't stopped since.

First night meeting in a pub. A flat/neighbourhood I wasn't originally intending. A chance encounter that he was there on a Wed night at 10pm as he'd cleaned his carpet and went to the pub for a quick drink as it dried. Wedding in August 2011. It's sometimes too perfect for me to believe!

I was involved in a music forum online since the age of 13 (12 years ago). Started speaking to my now-husband when I was 15 who was about my age as well, talked online, on the phone, etc...were 'in love' but too young to cross the globe at that point, obviously, and things fizzled out as it was not to be then... talked on and off during the years, each had other relationships during the time... hadn't spoken in awhile when I found he'd send me a message on Facebook a few months before (I'd created an account but didn't use it, and received an email one day saying I'd had however many pending friend requests as well as his message)... about two years ago now. I replied, and he said he was going to be in the US in three weeks time, and that I should come (he was going to Chicago, I was on the west coast, wasn't really near-by!)... somehow, I was able to bring it all together to fly out there (time off work, plane ticket, etc), and we met there for a large music festival, stayed with mutual friends who were involved in the same online community back in the day... ironically, they'd done the same thing, only one of them had moved to the US from the UK.

Spent five days together, was exactly as I'd always imagined it, only we were finally adults now, haha... made the decision the last night of the trip, do we want to do this or not... I went for a visit a few months later, and he came over to see me a few months after that... in that time, we discussed what to do, decided keeping it long distance for any major length of time was not worth it, and I decided I would regret not spending some time living in the UK later in life as I knew he was always willing to move back to the states... so, started talking in mid-2002, met in August 2009, I went to the UK in October 2009, he came to the US to visit in January 2010, I moved over at the end of February 2010, after the long visa process finalized. Bit of a whirlwind, and I was rather miserable for the first 9-10 months, especially when I wasn't allowed to work, and then had a hard time finding a place to hire me... but it's been 13-14 months I've been here now, finally feeling settled, with a loose plan to move back to the US in 2-6ish years, haha. Just going to see what happens, pay of debts, get my dual citizenship, head back when we're ready, but see as much as I can while I'm here!