I met someone in Seattle who was originally from Spain, but at the time a professor at Connecticut College on loan to the University of Washington. We knew this would be likely a short term thing because she didn’t see herself able to acquire a position in her field within the Puget Sound.

She left in October, we kept in contact, I eventually took myself and my young daughter to Indiana to visit my family for the Christmas holidays, and three days in, after meeting with all but one of the relatives I HAD to meet to retain good family relationships, I found insanely cheap tickets to New York City and asked my parents if they wouldn’t mind babysitting for a few days while I flew east and tried to see if we had what it took between us to try a long term relationship.

(I was really, REALLY reluctant to ask my parents this favor.)

They said yes.

The two of us met and spent an evening in New York City, then spent New Years Eve and a few days on either side of it cozy together in Connecticut while a torrential rain storm happened outside.

Didn’t work out.