the adventure begins

***

I moved up north to Hibbing in late summer that year and had a friend who worked at the same restaurant as David. One day he tells me that his coworker (David) was going to have surgery for his Esophageal Cancer and all the coworkers were going to meet up at Sporties for a little good luck send off type thing, so of course I was all excited to meet him and wish him the best of luck. I mean it's not everyday you meet someone who shares something so crazy in common, right? Well, we were introduced and I definitely led the conversation, (David isn't a man of many words if you don't really know him). It was nothing romantic at first, just fighter to survivor conversation and encouragement (which is so beautiful to me). After about 20 minutes of conversation, me and my friend left and I went on with my life. I remember thinking to myself from time to time about David and how his surgery had went. Then weeks turned to months. After about 6 months time, I was at Nicks Corner Bar (Hibbing, MN) on a Sunday night meeting up with the Sammy's crew when our paths crossed again. Honestly, I didn't even recognize it was him at first! I introduced myself (unknowingly again) and he said that we had met, then pointed at his throat.. I couldn't even believe it was him! I was so jazzed to see he was on the mend and the surgery was successful! We sat at the bar and talked all night. I actually lost my keys to my apartment across the street, and he sat with me for hours until my landlord was able to let me in. My heart just knew. I remember looking into his ocean blue eyes and thinking "Can you see yourself marrying this guy?!" and my heart whispered "yes". We've been building the rest of our lives together ever since that Sunday night, and I can't imagine being happier with anyone else by my side.

I had just got back from texas and was preparing for surgery. My life was a little crazy but I was just focusing on staying busy working and catching up with people I hadnt seen for a while. When I went back to work there was a few new faces that I met and became friends with, little did I know that one of those connections would lead me to the rest of my life. As my surgery date approached my coworkers wanted to go out on the town as a kinda get well soon party. We eventually met up with one of the guys I was training in and working with as I was told his friend had cancer at a young age and wanted to meet me. We had a brief conversation outside after meeting in which she assured me I would be ok and shared her experince in the situation then we parted ways and life went on. Soon after that, I had my sugery and it took a couple months before I was able to work again. When I finally got the approval to go back to work, not long after returning we all went to nicks corner bar in Hibbing for some “shifties” and darts. I was really excited to be able to get out of the house and be around people again. As always the Grandma’s crew was hanging out by the dart boards in the corner and the Sammys crew was on the other side at the bar. At one point everyone decided to go outside at the same time to smoke, natuarally everyone was done at the same time and started heading in. As I was about to go in, Sarina was coming out and I had remembered her from prior to my surgery, we sparked up a conversation and I ditched my friends. We never stopped talking after that and spent as much time as possible with each other, I learned very quick that this was the most beautiful peson I had ever met inside and out. And the rest is obvious, I knew right away that I was ready to spend the rest of my life with her.