Stepping off the flight after flying some 20 some odd hours from the US to Bucharest, I was nervous. An excited, finally nervous...a good nervous by all means. I only had one carry one and my backpack so going through customs was easier than I thought. I had never flown international so all of this trip was full of firsts for me. The weather - skies clear and sunny but the temperatures were cool to cold as it's was Winter time, just after the first of year.
The reason for this trip of many firsts, LOVE. Loving a girl so beautiful inside and out, it amazes me that she has picked me to love back. I am in awe of her, her life, her struggles, her failures, her successes in life. We all have them, but - in all my life, I know I have found that one girl in the world who understands me, ALL OF ME. She takes my flaws that I see and doesn't see them. She catches me when I start to fall...just like I do for her..even half a world away and seven hours time difference. We are connected in a way that only the Universe has explanations for and I will never doubt what It has planned next for me.
I'm a 58 year man from the US, recently left a long term relationship that should have ended 15 years ago. I stayed to take care of her. Medical, Surgical and Mental Health issues - to care for her. Sex was over long before I left. Love ended as well and obligation was the only thing left, for me. She'd tell me she loved me but never acted on anything. I didn't feel it. All my life, I've loved, cared for, and supported others. This time, when I left, I decided I would never to that for anyone else unless it was reciprocated, as equal as possible. Life makes us not 100% at times. Having a partner there to add to whatever you have to offer is important to get that 100%. If I have 20% to give, I'm hoping she has the 80% for me and visa versa.
Awaiting my turn to finish up, I head towards the pickup area, I search for that one set of eyes I have been seeing for months via WhatsApp video calls and pictures. She is 32 years old with an 11 year old son. She's been married and divorced for some time now. The set of eyes that return my love to me that I have show to her the best I can far away. We met, unconventionally, through an online site. I found myself more and more attracted to Eastern European women over the past year. Why you ask? I have no idea. It was more of a question again I don't ask as the Universe must have been involved. Talking, sharing and loving each other as best we could has finally come to the act of me flying to her home country for a three week visit. What if I didn't want to return home? So many many "What if's" running through my head, when I spotted her. Her eyes were the only thing in the terminal as it melted away. Like in the movies, she ran to me when she spotted me at the same time. We stopped - looked at each other - embraced and kissed....Passionately there in front of the world. I melted at her touch and kiss....we've been dreaming and planning for this exact day. I want this to be my last first kiss with her. It started off incredibility powerful for me and I think her as well.
Giddy and giggling like teenagers, we hold hands as we talk and go to her car. I just didn't ever want to let her go and take my eyes off of her. She was the love of my lifetime. That only girl I had fallen IN LOVE with and she has told me the same. Her eyes said it all. This was real. We were together in the same space...together. Putting my few bags in her car, she drives us to the Hilton downtown in Bucharest. She lives two hours outside of the city, but we wanted a few days (and nights) together, just us so that we can get to know each other, talk, kiss, make love and enjoy each other for more than a few minutes online. Heaven, I'm in heaven. This place, her home, I hope to make my home one day.
Her smile warms me. Always has. She calms me when she looks at me and talks. I do the same with her. She admits to falling in love with me first. I was coming out of a short term fling and tried the other dating apps - and it just wasn't working out for me. When I saw her and started talking, I was also talking with other Eastern European girls. But, one by one, I decided to end just the casual chatting situation and kept coming back to her. Over and over, I sought her out. I knew her hours available to chat and made a conscious effort to go to her. Minutes turned to hours of chatting on the site we found each other. Day after day, hours and hours as our friendship started and we learned about each other.
Looking back to the early days, we had much in common despite our age differences, our upbringing, life events we grew up with...the differences didn't matter because we had something more. We had a connection that grew. We would finish each other sentences, if not out loud at least in our heads. Her love of nature, animals, gardening were all the same that I have. She has a kind and loving heart and soul. I so wanted to be wrapped by her love like a blanket warms you up. I was falling in love as well. Our relationship grew over the next few months more organically until we confessed our love for each other and to BE IN love with each other. My world changed. She was all I thought about.
Back at the Hilton, I check us in and she helps me with the language as I don't speak Romanian. Her English is very good. Of course the English language can be a mess so I just help her understand words or terms she has questions about. She's smart, beautiful, loving, funny and MINE. We moved to an exclusive relationship where we were only dating each other. Busy in our lives, time and distance, didn't stop us. We learned to move through each obstacle and get closer.