I was just starting a new career and busy raising my 5 year old daughter Ava.  Typical of today's busy generation, I signed up on an online dating site just to meet some friends.  I enjoy the outdoors, and just wanted to meet some friends to go hiking/skiing/running etc with me.  Within a few days of joining the site, I happened upon a profile which caught my attention (his profile did not mention any interests in the outdoors by the way). So, I swiped right and sent the first message (yup, I choose him!!).  

We quickly developed a relationship over 'text' and I found myself looking forward to these regular, digital communications.  We would text all day and all night, until one day I finally decided to ask him out on a date!  I remember the first time we locked eyes, the first conversation, the first time I heard him laugh, and the first time I realized that I hated saying 'goodbye' (and still do).  

Since that very first date, we've been inseparable.  In the short time we have been together we have done so many exciting things like traveling across the country together, making new friends, changing jobs, and yes, we've even gone camping and hiking!  But what we have found to be most important is that we have quickly become best friends...who respect and love and long for each other....and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him!!!!!

Family circumstances led to my being in Maryland for extended periods of time caring for my son Bryant. It had been a while since I had gone out and friends were urging me to get out and do something to help break up the time. I decided to go online in hopes of finding someone to talk to and maybe go out for drinks or a bite. Although not looking for it and certainly not expecting it, I found much much more than that. I found love. 

After connecting online, we exchanged messages for about a month before we ever spoke and I could already tell there was something special about her. Her caring, her thoughtfulness, her intelligence, her adventurous spirit all came through before we even met.  And when we finally did meet, on our unexpected first date (unexpected because she cancelled a week or so prior only to reach out to me the day of the original date to ask if I was still available and interested in getting together), I knew for sure that this could be something special. And I knew that in very short order while sharing an order of bang bang shrimp... before the entrees even hit the table! Since that night, we have talked, at times for hours, exchanged messages or have been together every day... and then those initials thoughts have only grown deeper and stronger each and every one of those days.