Almost 100 days to go

I've been given the task of writing all the content for our wedding page, and Andrea asked me to write something about how we met and all that business. I just thought I'd share what I wrote.

How it all started

January 13th, 2009

The night I met Andrea I always tell people that I had no idea what I was in store for. At the time I just thought she was a really awesome girl who I shared similar interests with. I imagined I would go to parties with her, hang out at cafes chatting for hours, and watch really awful TV like America's Next Top Model together. During the past eight(almost nine) years we have done a lot of those things and many more, but I did not think that night I was going to marry this girl.

I gave her my e-mail address that night. Isn't that super geeky? I didn't have a cell phone at the time so how else would she find me? Anyway, I didn't think she would e-mail me. She even second guessed herself when she couldn't exactly remember my e-mail address. Fortunately she got it right, and a few days later she did e-mail me. After talking on Instant Messenger for awhile I finally got the nerve to ask her out...in Instant Messenger. More geekiness, I know. Anyway, I took her to a movie and we spent at least an hour talking outside in the cool Milpitas night.

After that we had to endure some rough times. Andrea went off to school in Santa Barbara and we had to spend the next four years apart most of the time. We would visit each other from time to time, and she would come home for summer vacation, but it was enough for either of us. We just wanted to be together all the time. We managed to make it last and 3 and a half years ago, we packed up and moved to Chicago so that Andrea could attend medical school. I work and try my best to make this challenging time for Andrea as easy as possible. It's been really tough because she devotes a lot of her time in school, understandably, but just thinking about seeing her keeps me going. Saying that I cherish every moment I have with her is beyond cliche, but there I said it.

It's like one of those things, you know. You watch a movie that you didn't know anything about and it's the most amazing piece of entertainment you've ever seen. You hear a new song on the radio from someone you've never heard of, from a genre that you usually don't pay much attention to, and you get it instantly. You want to hear it again and again. You appreciate those experiences, those memories a whole lot more than experiences you expected, or prepared yourself to have. I appreciate Andrea like that. More than anything.

The kind of love that we share, the kind that surprises you...I really wish that everyone finds a love like ours. I always thank that part of that let go that day I met Andrea. I didn't even want to go out that night, but I just said, "Aw, what the heck." Andrea is everything to me. I live to make her happy and I can totally be myself around her and I find it difficult to completely let my guard down when I'm around people, so the fact that I can be silly and giggle like a school girl in front of her is, again the most amazing thing ever. She is that song that I would never seek out. The music found me and I can't get enough of it.

I can't wait to declare my love, my heart, and my eternal friendship to Andrea in front of all of our family and friends. See you in April.

-Alvin

God, it's fucking cheesy, but I had to hold back the tears writing that. Admitting that fact is making me cry now. I wanted to add more tomfoolery, more Spiz if you will, but I think all of that didn't fit. It's supposed to be cheesy and I think I succeeded in achieving maximum cheese level. You may leave to throw up now.

Ed note: Podcast is a little late. Sorry. Whadda ya want? Also coming soon you'll be able to download the podcast from an RSS feed/itunes soon. Exciting stuff. I encourage all of you to get mic's so you can be on the show.