Many know Rachel and I met on Match.com. I first knew her as "Shives15" a 23 year old woman in Arlington seeking a Male 22-30 (hey I still fit that range!). Below is part of her profile description.
"The world's not perfect, but it's there for us trying the best it can. That's what makes it so damn beautiful."
Well, I've finally taken the plunge and posted a profile. I figure it can't hurt, right? All you really need to know about me is that I'm a female engineer, who isn't ashamed of being a nerd in may ways. But, I'm athletic and I enjoy the outdoors. As far as dating goes, I'm just looking for more ways to meet people.
This was the first view of the woman who would become my wife. It is somewhat clear what first drew her to me, she was an engineer, so we would have that in common, and she was also a self proclaimed "nerd" in her ways lol. She also came across as being very direct and confident. So it is no surprise at all that I would send her a message initiating contact. Of course my first message was titled "I can't hurt", hopefully you can spot the typo.... My first message was short, asking about what kind of engineer she was, indicating that I too was an engineer and expressing interest in her caving (which was mentioned in a different part of her profile). Generally innocent start. She managed to look past my stupid typo in the title.
Her first response I received on Jun 15, 2010.
RE: I can't hurt
Hi!
I graduated as a mechanical engineer and I'm working on my masters in ME with a thermal/fluids concentration. I work on the fluids aspects of nuclear engineering. What type of chemical engineering field do you work in?
Yup, I love caving! It's an adventure every you go underground!
Cheers,
Shives
I would say it took about 2-3 weeks or so of communication before I worked up the guts to ask to meet her in person. The meeting was at Oronoco Bay Park in Alexandria on July 10th 2010, the city of Alexandria was celebrating their birthday, just following the 4th of July festivities There was going to be a symphony, birthday cake, and fireworks. I figured it was a nice public place for us to meet and spend time together. I had volunteered for my kempo school to help man a booth for a couple of hours to help enroll students. We would pass out flyers and periodically give the kids a quick 5-10 minute lesson. I suggested she arrive right as I was done with that shift. Since I was helping out with the kempo booth I was dressed all in black. I somehow didn't scare her away when she first saw me! And we ended up spending the next few hours together, walking through the park, having a slice of cake, and watching the fireworks. Personally I think it was one of my better ideas for a first date! And it was my intention to return Rachel to that same park when I proposed. But that is another story.
Looking back and rereading these emails is lots of fun. It is hard to imagine, remembering the first time I saw her profile on match.com, nervously writing my first communication to her, the first time I saw her approaching that booth in Oronoco Bay Park, that this woman, this amazing and beautiful woman would end up being my wife. I suppose if I would have known that back then, I would have double checked for typos....
So anyways that is a little more insight into the "how I met my wife" story. I hope you enjoyed it!
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