Put a story to the name

I had just realized while looking through other blogs that I don't think we have ever fully introduced ourselves or posted a picture of what we look like and who we are.

Andrew and I (technically) met in 2009 when I was a sophomore and he was a freshman in high school. I say technically because while we knew of each other we didn't really start becoming friends until later. Our school was very small, containing about 65 students, so everyone knew of everyone else. He was the quiet kid who played his guitar in the corner while I was the loud leader who was a key part of the school as a whole. We had our little talks but most of our interactions were that of fellow students in a tiny school.

Andrew then

Me then

Our friendship really started through a conversation we had where we both expressed a liking of the old retro game Monkey Island from the 90's. We had both played it as kids and he had a copy still playable. We installed it on my laptop and that was the first time he had ever been at my place and the first true sign of friendship. I was a junior, he was a sophomore at this point. Our friendship grew through mutual things we liked to do. We would meet with friends for Dungeons and Dragons meets, I started to visit his place frequently and his family began to know who I was, and at some point in there I had developed a crush on him.

While I had a little crush on him, we didn't start dating until later. I had things in my life I needed to work out and he had things in his so we never really sorted things out until my senior year, his junior. I mean I was only 16 or 17 at that point and you know how 16 and 17 year olds are. After a while it had gotten to the point where I was seeing him out of school nearly every weekend and we both had a study hall together where we hung out during school. We would talk at school constantly and text when we were out and around mid December I asked him out. I don't remember the exact date I asked him originally, but December 27th was when it was really labeled as official. I still remember his face as I drove away that night. Happiest I've ever seen him.

The rest of my senior year was fantastic and before I knew it I had graduated in 2012!

I was off to Fitchburg State University! I will say, this was our first hurtle but we got through it fine. Since we had gone to school together for the past 4 years, it was strange not to see him at school every day anymore but we had our ways of seeing each other and our relationship really grew. 

His brothers and I that summer.

I started to join in on family parties. 

He graduated the next year in 2013 but took a year off to earn money and figure out what he wanted to do.

It feels as if I have become part of his family and I find that really cool. I know his extended family really well and I am invited to nearly every family party. Plus his young cousins like me more than him but not that I'm bragging or anything. 

This up coming year, I am going to be a Junior at Fitchburg State and he is going to be a Freshman at Plymouth, even though we are only 4 months apart in age. I'm a pro at the college life at this point so I'm giving him tips and I know he'll do just fine. 

And I know we'll do just fine, too.