Blast From The Past – Beer, Beard Or How I Met My Husband

It’s this special time of the year. The time when in Europe spring makes everything blossom (of course everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere). It’s the time Amor does his magic and some people actually fall in love. It’s the time of the year, Paris is is the prettiest… well, hang on… Paris is always pretty… Oh, let’s just get to the point: It’s the time of the year hubby and I celebrate the most special anniversary ever: The day we met. The interesting fact about it is, that I felt I was at a crossroad in my life. Not sure on which direction to go… It was a very interesting experience and once again life took over.

I don’t really know how many of you have read our story so far but I thought it would be the perfect time to share it again as a Blast From The Past and I hope you enjoy it and maybe it will inspire you to share your love story with me for my feature ‘Couples‘…

Isn’t it funny how things go in life? How suddenly, you make a decision to live your life a certain way out of certain reasons and then something happens and everything is totally different again?

Years ago I decided, that it is time to change a couple of things in my life. Job-wise and in relation to men, or better relationships. I was working freelance for smaller events back then and really enjoyed it. Nevertheless, I got to the point where I felt the traveling was exhausting me (and the crazy hours). On top of that I had an offer to work full time for a company I worked with before. And relationship-wise I just dealt with a major disappointment. So I decided: Screw you guys! I don’t need you in my life for a while and will now just only focus on me and the job I got offered.

Well, at least I thought so…

I remember sitting outside with a friend, talking about my decision. I had only a couple more events I had already agreed to work for coming up. But in my mind that would be it. Maybe I need to stretch the point, that those events were not major big events. They were just kind of big enough to hire freelance people like me. Okay to have in your CV but nothing which would really stand out.

While I was chatting to my friend, I receive a text of someone I knew through a couple of those little events. And this person asked me, if I would be free during a certain time of that summer. I knew right away what he wanted me to ask. I knew right away that he was about to ask me, if I would be available to work for a major event. The kind of event you want to put in your CV! The dilemma! I wanted it! I wanted this job. But I had just decided not to be a “gypsy” any longer, that I am not going to do that kind of work anymore. I just decided that I would take on this full time job.

I looked at my friend and asked, what I should do. My friend looked at me and said: “Well, this is the kind of event you always wanted to work for. Maybe you should consider it. Just for this time?” So I answered him, that I would be free although I knew, taking on a job for this event would not be a one year thing. But I would deal with this later… (yeah, right…)

Now the sheer impossible task began to organize a date for my job interview for the mentioned event. Both, me and the guy who was in charge of hiring, were crazy busy over the next couple of weeks. The only time we were actually at the same place at the same time was during an event in a different city. I was planing on visiting this event for a while already and he was there for work.

So only about a month before the event I was supposed to work for would take place, I met this guy in this beautiful romantic European city for my job interview. We met in a place at the event he worked at. I was early (as always) and met with the person who had initiated this interview in the first place. As I said, I knew him from before and it was always good to see him. Chatting with him made me relax while we were waiting.

I expected a guy in a suit or at least in a shirt, you know, kind of serious. And I expected a proper interview. I had my CV with me and was ready to answer questions.

And then this guy arrives. A guy with a goaty, shoulder long hair. We got introduced and I realized that he actually had a snus in his mouth. Seriously? Goaty, long hair, no suit, just T-shirt and jeans AND a snus for a job interview?

He got us some drinks. I was adventurous and ordered a Coke instead of water. He was relaxed and got a huge beer for himself… I was ready for the interview but instead the three of us started chatting. Just chatting. Some jokes, some laughter, some stories, some more chatting, more jokes and then he said that he had to leave, as he had another appointment. Before he left he asked, if I would like to join him and his team for dinner that night. I agreed and I was confused. As he did not ask me one question job-related. Maybe that would happen later that day during dinner… maybe we just ran out of time…

Let’s just say that dinner was super yummy and that I had not laughed that much in years. No words were lost about the job he was about to hire me. I went home a couple of days later but still no more conversation about the position. We had dinner again in a big group and went out in the group. And it was fun. But nothing, which was not normal in the area I worked in.

Then, while working at one of “my” events, I got the confirmation that I got the job. He thought that I would fit the team perfectly. Wow! I was thrilled! It was the one job, that I always wanted! The event and the position I always wanted to work for and in!

And I have to admit, it felt weird back then as well. I started liking him. We kept in touch. I had some question re job and we communicated via email and text messages. Our “conversations” always started turning into fun and I liked that. But that was it. As I said: I had decided that relationships were no option and that I would now focus on my work.

To speed this up (by now you guys are probably bored): Weeks after we had met for my interview, I was arriving in the place the event was held. A couple of days early, so I could get familiar with everything. He had cut his hair, but the goaty and the snus were still there. He showed me around, introduced me to everyone and invited me to another dinner. Dinner was great, but the conversation was difficult as he was constantly on the phone (totally normal for the day and the event we worked for). Somehow and at sometime during this evening it just clicked. I was trying to ignore it. No relationship! And for sure not with who turned out to be my boss! And because I realized at this point that this job would turn out to be a full time job… But it happened.

We started dating during this event. Really not professional! We kept dating afterwards. Still not professional… But by that time I did not care anymore. I would have given up the job just to keep this relationship going. It felt different. It felt deeper and more important and more real than anything I had experienced before. And only about four weeks later he proposed (yes! 4 weeks!). I moved in with him about 6 weeks after we started dating and we got married 4 months after our first date, which means not even 6 months after we met.

Well, that is not really true… turns out the two of us had actually met before. About 1 year before we thought we met for the first time, we got introduced to each other already. But we did not remember. It just did not have an impact on us. He was jetlagged, I was super busy with the event I was working for. I guess time was just not right back then.

So that day, in this beautiful European city I got my dream job. But more important I got my dream husband!

Although people thought, that we must have lost our minds when we got married so quickly, we are still here. Stronger than ever and happy. We knew. We knew it was different and it was meant to last. We knew we would be good together. That we would work. And although life threw challenges at us we are still here. As a unit. When it’s meant to be it is meant to be, you know… 🙂