The next time I saw Paul was that next Tuesday in choir. We were talking before class started and Paul mentioned that the previous day he had planned on going up in the mountains to play his guitar by himself, but that the rain had kept him from it. I then said, "Ooh, next time you want to be alone in the mountains playing your guitar, give me a call!" So, then Paul said, "let's go tonight," and I happened to be available!
Paul came to pick me up that late afternoon after work and with my guitar, his guitar, and some blankets in the back of his car, we headed over to the west side of Cache Valley where Paul grew up. He took me up to this little wooded spot up in the hills above Mendon. We didn't have to walk far, probably because Paul's guitar case is wicked heavy! Now, I USED to say that I play the guitar. I had taken Beginning Group Guitar during my freshman year, and also spent the entire previous summer as a girl's camp counselor, so I wasn't completely unskilled. But then I went on a first date with Paul and his guitar. Now I say that I PRETEND to play the guitar, and that Paul actually can REALLY play. This date was a brilliant move on Paul's part, because I've always been a sucker for talent. He impressed me from the very beginning and I enjoyed just sitting there listening to him play. Normally, I'm a bit of a show off myself, but I don't think I played much while we were up there... maybe just a camp song or two. We put the guitars away and just sat there and talked and talked. He told me about his family and all that typical first date stuff! Despite spending the year together in choir, I knew very little about Paul until that point. I was impressed how easy it was to be with him and talk to him. I didn't feel the need to be anything but myself. This is the reason why he emerged ahead of the pack in those next couple of weeks.
Back to that first date: Eventually, it got cold and we headed back to the car. He drove me all the way back to my apartment and I asked him if he was hungry. Instead of getting out of the car, we headed over to Village Inn and continued our date. Again, we had a nice, casual conversation in a comfortable atmosphere. Once we were done, we headed back home and said we'd see each other later. We made it a point (not actually having talked about it or anything) not to kiss again that night, since it was basically our first date (not that that had ever stopped me before, but it had him!). I think we maybe hugged.
Our second first kiss came 2 weeks later after several more dates. Aren't we lucky that we got to have two first kisses? First kisses are high up on my happy list! Anyway, that came at the end of a group date around a campfire up the canyon. That was the first time I'd ever spent any amount of time with his sister Amy and her then fiance, Jason, but I don't remember actually talking to them much. Bit by bit, all the other couples started leaving the group and Paul and I were left there alone. This was just as we both had planned it because I know I was excited for the chance to kiss him again and he must have felt the same way.
After this point, I didn't continue to date any of those "other guys." It was just going to be Paul from then on. We made it through finals and then Paul headed south to Mapleton to live at home for the summer. My plan was to just stay in Logan, take a few classes,work, and date Paul on the weekends. He lived about 2 hours away. Over the course of that summer, Paul and I grew closer and closer, started saying "I love you" and all that good stuff. We had a lot of fun together, but I'll admit, it wasn't perfect. That being said, I also have to say that any misgivings I had about the direction our relationship was heading, they always disappeared any time I was actually WITH Paul. The summer of 1998 gave us a good solid base on which we could start building an actual relationship. I even went as Paul's date to his sister's wedding ceremony in August, something that actually made me really nervous. I could go into more detail about all the different events of that summer, but it would take FOREVER! I have a LOT of journal entries from that time period. Long-distance relationships are definitely a magical whirlwind, but they don't always represent real life. By the end of the summer, I was very excited for school to start so we could spend more of our days together and see what our relationship was really like.
More about that tomorrow.
Paul came to pick me up that late afternoon after work and with my guitar, his guitar, and some blankets in the back of his car, we headed over to the west side of Cache Valley where Paul grew up. He took me up to this little wooded spot up in the hills above Mendon. We didn't have to walk far, probably because Paul's guitar case is wicked heavy! Now, I USED to say that I play the guitar. I had taken Beginning Group Guitar during my freshman year, and also spent the entire previous summer as a girl's camp counselor, so I wasn't completely unskilled. But then I went on a first date with Paul and his guitar. Now I say that I PRETEND to play the guitar, and that Paul actually can REALLY play. This date was a brilliant move on Paul's part, because I've always been a sucker for talent. He impressed me from the very beginning and I enjoyed just sitting there listening to him play. Normally, I'm a bit of a show off myself, but I don't think I played much while we were up there... maybe just a camp song or two. We put the guitars away and just sat there and talked and talked. He told me about his family and all that typical first date stuff! Despite spending the year together in choir, I knew very little about Paul until that point. I was impressed how easy it was to be with him and talk to him. I didn't feel the need to be anything but myself. This is the reason why he emerged ahead of the pack in those next couple of weeks.
Back to that first date: Eventually, it got cold and we headed back to the car. He drove me all the way back to my apartment and I asked him if he was hungry. Instead of getting out of the car, we headed over to Village Inn and continued our date. Again, we had a nice, casual conversation in a comfortable atmosphere. Once we were done, we headed back home and said we'd see each other later. We made it a point (not actually having talked about it or anything) not to kiss again that night, since it was basically our first date (not that that had ever stopped me before, but it had him!). I think we maybe hugged.
Our second first kiss came 2 weeks later after several more dates. Aren't we lucky that we got to have two first kisses? First kisses are high up on my happy list! Anyway, that came at the end of a group date around a campfire up the canyon. That was the first time I'd ever spent any amount of time with his sister Amy and her then fiance, Jason, but I don't remember actually talking to them much. Bit by bit, all the other couples started leaving the group and Paul and I were left there alone. This was just as we both had planned it because I know I was excited for the chance to kiss him again and he must have felt the same way.
After this point, I didn't continue to date any of those "other guys." It was just going to be Paul from then on. We made it through finals and then Paul headed south to Mapleton to live at home for the summer. My plan was to just stay in Logan, take a few classes,work, and date Paul on the weekends. He lived about 2 hours away. Over the course of that summer, Paul and I grew closer and closer, started saying "I love you" and all that good stuff. We had a lot of fun together, but I'll admit, it wasn't perfect. That being said, I also have to say that any misgivings I had about the direction our relationship was heading, they always disappeared any time I was actually WITH Paul. The summer of 1998 gave us a good solid base on which we could start building an actual relationship. I even went as Paul's date to his sister's wedding ceremony in August, something that actually made me really nervous. I could go into more detail about all the different events of that summer, but it would take FOREVER! I have a LOT of journal entries from that time period. Long-distance relationships are definitely a magical whirlwind, but they don't always represent real life. By the end of the summer, I was very excited for school to start so we could spend more of our days together and see what our relationship was really like.
More about that tomorrow.
4 comments:
O- I hope that you will post pictures if you have any of you and Paul when you two were dating. That would be so fun to see! This has been so fun to read!
I am completely absorbed. I can't stop reading. This is like a novel for me. I want more. I NEED more. Write more!!!
Per our conversation last week: I really do feel that I am getting to know you by reading the blog. Isn't that funny?
i can't wait to hear more. i am constantly glued to your stories :)
This is so great, since I didn't get to be your roommate when you were dating Paul, I can now just imagine you are actually here telling me the stories, and I am giggling. (Sorry for the run on sentence.) I play the guitar too - HA HA HA
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