How did I get here?

Not every girl is in a race to get to her "happily ever after". Some just want good company, a guy to vibe with, converse with and laugh with. Not in a rush. Start off simple, and let the rest find itself. Having someone to talk to and feeling comfortable around is quite beautiful, and it's an amazing feeling!

In 2013 when I was 18 and had just finished year 12, I was living in a small country town on the boarder of VIC & NSW. I had been accepted into Deakin University studying Arts/Commerce (don't ask...) and so I made the move to Melbourne. Once there I started working part-time at KFC ... and cue the moment I met my now fiance (E.B) - romantic... I know, right!!

Seriously but, you know when people you say the best kind of love is the one that comes when you least expect it? That is exactly what happened!

I wasn't looking when I met you. But you turned out to be everything I was looking for

We worked together for about 12 months before I moved back home to The Boarder (dropped out of uni coz... seriously, what was I thinking?), and we remained friends even through the distance. Years came and went (along with other partners in the mean time) and our friendship just kept going. A friendship consisting mainly of sending memes and funny messages, catching up for random coffees when I happened to be in Melbourne visiting family, and communicating through movie quotes and song lyrics.

2011 rolled around and we both went through a tough year and some big changes - and this is when I would say the magic started to happen.

I still remember our first ever date (going to see The Butterfly Effect play in Frankston) although neither of us realized that is what it was (possibly because I still had a boyfriend at this time - judge all you want, but you can't break up a happy home and trust me when I say I was FAR from happy). The concert was great - we sang, we drank, we moshed - just two friends enjoying each others company while watching our favorite band play.

Not long afterwards I found myself officially single but I was in no mood to mingle. Coming out of a shit relationship, the last thing you want is to risk going into another one. But that was fine... E.B and I were just mates (yes, eventually with benefits) so there was no need to overthink anything. So we kept it casual - after all, we are just friends having fun - and just enjoyed each others company.

Maybe living 3 and half hours apart helped keep us from rushing into anything. Maybe it was just a serious case of denial. But next thing I know, txting regularly turned into txting daily (along with the occasional phone call in which he would just play guitar to me over the phone) ... irregular catch ups turned into regular, turned into weekly, turned into me spending Friday - Monday in Melbourne with him, only coming home to work (Tues-Thurs) and spending every day talking and planning what we were doing next weekend together. This was no overnight occurrence and what I have summarized in 1 paragraph took us over a year to actually go through. It wasn't until I was starting to plan my move down that I realised I had been jedi mind-f#@%ed and realised that I more than just liked E.B.

One weekend as I prepared to head back home we started discussing our plans for the following weekend and for the first time in a few months, we were about to go 2 weeks without seeing each other (he had to work over a weekend and I had my brother's birthday so neither of us could travel to the other)! Now, 2 weeks might not sound like much but when you have spent 4/7 days together for months straight, the thought of going 14 days apart was a bit of a shock to the system. As I drove home that night, tears in my eyes and actually already missing him at the thought of spending so much time apart, for the first time it hit me - what I was (trying to) convince others was just a "casual fling" had somehow developed into something so much more.

And suddenly you know... It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings

During our 2 weeks apart we spent almost everyday on the phone talking, and during one of our conversations I was discuss the fact that I had started to job hunt (cause as much as working 3 days a week allowed me to live a very flexible lifestyle, it clearly could no be a permanent thing) and made the not so jokingly joke that we best get use to going longer periods apart as who knew what my work week would look like going forward. After a short pause, this is when E.B suggested that I look for work in Melbourne and we start giving things a serious go... I don't think it even took me 2 seconds to think it over and less than 2 weeks later I had packed up my entire life and moved near 400km from The Boarder to the South East Suburbs.

Now lets fast forward 5 years and what an adventure it has been:

We have traveled overseas to numerous countries. We have a fur baby that we adore (although he will tell you otherwise and try and offer Honey up for adoption, trust me when I say he would be devastated if someone took her as he spoons her in bed more than me!). Even though it has been years, we still go out on regular dates, whether it is to the Caribbean Markets, to a new burger joint, flying to Sydney just for a concert or road tripping 4 hours for a kebab on the Murray (and to see my family as well i guess :P). Needless to say, this tumble down the rabbit hole has been one hell of a fall and I have loved every second of it.

I wonder how I could love you more, yet I fall more in love with you everyday

The day (and way) he proposed is one of the best memories - in a style that is so him and in way that just summarizes us, E.B hijacked my planned date night (surprise dinner at Jimmy Grants followed by dessert at Mesinna in Richmond) but then taking me to one of our favorite look outs to watch the sunset. The sky was flooded with hot pinks and burnt oranges on our way home so he suggested a detour on the way home from our date to watch the sun set fully. This is nothing new of different for us so I didn't think anything of it - just another perfect way to top off a perfect date night. But while standing on top of the hill overlooking the suburbs I got the most perfect surprise of my life.

Fast forward again almost a year and as I write this blog we are current 8 months, 27 days, 8 hours and 12 minutes from our wedding! (eeeeeepppp!!!)

So much has happened between that beautiful night and now, with so much more change to come (including moving interstate, finding a new job, starting a masters degree and our relationship going into long-distance mode for a while).

I guess you can say this blog has come about as a creative outlet for all the change to come, and (possibly more so) a distraction to keep me busy during the tough times ahead. I won't lie - this blog is more for me than it is for anyone reading it. But you are welcome to come along for the ride.

With Llove xx