Looking back on the things I've done...

As Jim and I approach the 6 month mark to the wedding tomorrow, it is interesting to see how far we have come. Technically, we have not even been officially dating for a year yet. We reach that milestone next month. But those of us who know our story, know that we have been 'together' on and off for a lot longer than that.

Recently, I have been reflecting on not only how far Jim and I have come as a couple, but how far each of us has come individually. I will let Jim guest blog one day to explain just how much his life has changed, but for now, I thought I would look back on mine. I look back on my life 3-4 years ago and realize just how drastically it has changed. About 4 years ago, I decided to enter the world of online dating. I was too cheap to pay for a site at first so I spent some time on plenty of fish. I quickly realized that you had to really search on this site, because lets just say most of the men were not my type.

I did manage to go on some coffee dates with men I met on plenty of fish. Almost all of them were horrible. One guy, when he asked me to explain exactly what I did for a living told me, "Yeah, I have had enough of that religious crap shoved down my throat for 12 years in school." I wasn't really sure what to say to that. Needless to say I didn't see that guy again.

Another guy on paper was totally my type and really should have been a match for me, but I ended up doing 95% of the talking. I gave him a chance and went on a few dates with him, but when it didn't get better I realized that it was pointless.

It was around this time I got serious about Catholic Match. I was ready to meet someone who shared my faith and my beliefs. I realized quickly, while Catholic Match was a great site, it didn't really have a ton of local guys. I foolishly though I would go online and a plethora of men would be waiting for me from the Windsor area. Well, what actually happened was there were probably 10 guys from the Windsor area, and most of them were not paying members. I participated in the forums and made friends so I stayed for the good discussions and nice people. I was definitely not looking for a long distance relationship. But, when I met Jim, I was at the point where I was at least willing to give it a try.

I never thought I would be one who could make a long distance relationship work. How wrong I was. While it has been challenging not to be together all the time, we have grown so much as a couple. If you would have told me 4 years ago that I would be moving away from not only home, but from my country for love, I would have laughed at you. But, now I could not imagine my life without Jim in it.

I can't believe in 6 short months, I will be embarking on a new life. A new husband, a new country and new experiences. I can't wait!