Chrish

Today marks the three hundred and sixty fifth day that I have spent with said Christopher. So I guess I'll have to tell you all the story of our love.
Before starting school here at the Culinary Institute of America, I was added to a group on Facebook which had members who would all start school on the same date as I was scheduled to start. People counted down the days until our start date, people complained about the dress code, talked about where they were working etc. I tried to be friendly and likable, and started conversations with a few people. I even scouted out who I thought I would have the most in common with, and therefore became friends with my good friend Valerie, who lives next door. September 2011, I sent out a message to this boy who seemed quite quiet and passionate: "Hey just wanted to check and make sure you are as excited for October 3rd as I am :)" To which he responded. "yes." Now I was just trying to make conversation, attempting to make friends, and make someone smile. But that response did not seem very enthusiastic. In my sassy tone (as you can imagine) I replied "good answer. well I was just trying to be friendly, see you then!" "Sorry, I'm not a very talkative person." (Which we all know is untrue.)

So we went on with our separate lives. When we got to school, this guy was quiet and kept to himself, and I was outgoing and friendly. Everyone figured he thought he was too good to talk to everyone else and they nicknamed him 'SuperChef'. Every time I saw him however, I would wave, or give him a smile, nodding hello, and the like. But it was not until Late January that our paths crossed again. I had a  rough start to college and was very home sick.

Chris and I were in the same Management class and sat across from one another. He had some fascination with drawing every person in the class on the soda bottle of the day. I found him odd. The friend who sat next to me asked me one day who I thought was the most attractive person in the class was and after deep consideration, I set my eyes on him. The next week, he happened to post a status that proclaimed that one of his favorite movies was Titanic. And that was my way in. I mentioned that Titanic was one of my favorite movies, and then he started complaining that he regretted including girls in his status and wished that he had posted something about super heros. We bickered back and forth about it, and then went off to bed.

One night, a bunch of girls and I were dressing up for no good reason and Christopher's name came up a lot. After that, he invited me to his room to watch Tangled. I remember saying "Well, I'm in sweatpants and I don't look all that great." He said something like "I don't care" and I thought that meant something like, it's not like I am going to be looking at you. Anyway, fell asleep before the movie was over, and to this day have still not gotten through that movie. After it was over, I woke up and headed back to my room. But decided to turn back and we sat up talking for hours. He gave me his number and I scurried off to bed. The next day I texted him and we started talking on a regular basis.

Soon after that our conversations grew longer, and one night I invited some friends over for a Disney movie night. Christopher tagged along. Then we all went out for midnight shakes. I caught him on camera a couple of times. ^^

I bought my closest friends some daffodils in honor of my friend Corey's favorite movie "Big Fish".  And they outgrew the pot they were growing in, so I planted them outside. One day Chris and I happened to be doing laundry on the same day, and decided to walk outside to visit the daffodils. We sat there together on the cliff and talked for a while. Then he bought me an ice cream cone and we walked back to the laundry room. I then watched as Chris demonstrated how he folds his laundry. At the time I figured he was a little crazy, and that I wouldn't have to remember any of the steps he took in folding laundry. Little did I know, that a year later, I would be doing his laundry.




That Friday, I was talking with a friend on the phone about the crush I had on Chris, when I passed right by him. I was embarrassed, and as you do when you are on the phone and cannot talk about what you were talking about...you say things like "and that's how a bill becomes a law".

I returned to my room to complete some homework. And was jamming out to some music with my roommate when I heard some rustling outside my door. But I lived in the freshman door and passed it off as nothing. Then I got a text that said "there is something outside your door." I opened my door and found this lovely African Violet. He then asked if I would go to a movie with him that night, and I accepted his invitation. We went with his friends to see Project X. Now if any of you have seen this movie, you know that it is the absolute worst movie ever and especially for a first date. If you haven't seen it, I don't suggest it. He did not make any moves, and we didn't talk much. We all went out to eat afterwards though, and he let me wear the hat that his grandmother made him. No kiss goodnight, no hugs. Quite a shy guy.

We spent many nights looking at the stars

We spent the entire next day together, watching movies, and doing homework. Chris is a collector of many puzzles including but not limited to rubix cubes. And those first few times we were getting to know each other we fiddled with every puzzle he had, and I never solved any of them. Right then and there I kissed him. And he said thank you. Such a cutie. From there we were an official couple. And we started our adventures from there.

Had some fun Picnics

On St. Patricks day we walked the tracks

(And did some dancing)

^^I took him home for Easter a couple of weeks later, and he made a whole egg hunt.  

we did a lot of thrift store shopping

We professed our love for each other

We walked across the river

 

                               

He got me an "I love you" ring

And then came time for externship. And he had decided to move to NYC because it would be easier to move all of his belongings an hour away. I had signed on with Roaring Gap Club in North Carolina. We were very upset to part ways. And our shifts were opposite so we had to leave video chats and updates to keep up. Chris hated his job and had to commute an hour and a half each way. His shifts were from noon until midnight. I worried about him being alone in the city at night. And then his apartment got bed bugs. Now you may think that bed bugs are just a joke, but I am no longer to say that  cute little saying "Sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite!" Because it's reality. Chris was forced out of his apartment with no where to live. Thankfully he had a friend who lived around the block who let him stay with them. He quit his job and within the same day signed his externship at Roaring Gap Club with me. Once he arrived, we picked up where we had left off and enjoyed many adventures together in a new place. 

Enjoying the summer weather

Traveled to towns around the state

Rode on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Had at work picnics

Ate out a lot

Discovered great places

Foraged for mushrooms

Saw Jason Mraz in concert

Enjoyed the views

climbed some waterfalls

And then we enjoyed Michigan, which is where Chris is from. 

 ^^Played with his younger sisters

Visited Mackinaw island

         

Ate in Frankenmuth, a cool cultural town

went Trick-or-Treating with these two cuties

^^on our way back to New York we stopped at Niagara Falls^^

Spent some time in my mom's kitchen

^^Won Best couple's costume for "Buzz and his Honey"

^^Watched and joined in on a parade in Rhinebeck^^

celebrated Christmas together at my home

Attended the semi formal dance on campus together

And that in a nutshell was our year together. I skipped over a lot of details, but I take so many pictures I thought it would be nice to put together a collage of our first year together. This next year will bring many more challenges but we will face them all together. We both graduate in May and are looking for jobs in the Upstate New York area. We have recently been looking at duplexes and while this is all scary, we know that no matter what we will have each other. I am so thankful to have found that someone who makes me smile everyday, and makes my life more than worth while. I look back on this year and cherish each moment, and it just makes me anxious for our future. I love you Christopher.