His Story - How to catch a bird

So I am 22 and going to serve a mission. I sit in this small white room while this guy talks to me about Armenia and how unique it is. Then, to my left this little blonde Sister missionary blurts out something about grand adventure or....something. I really don't know. What caught my attention was that she said it really to no one but herself. Then just sat there.

I thought "Well that was an interesting thing to say".

And she kept saying things. Epic things, personal things, truthful things. But that was Sister Pew. Never afraid to speak her mind.

I liked that. We were friends. She was unique, a bit odd, fun. We clicked quickly and were friends throughout the mission. That is how we met. In Armenia. Most random place in the world to meet your future wife.

But I like that. I like that we got to know each other as missionaries. A time when we are trying to be our best. A time when God is showing us how our best can be better. A country and people that taught us to live without, to enjoy life for what it is not what it should be. At least, that is how I viewed it.

I wasn't around Anna for most of the mission. Her last area was my longest however and we had time to catch up. What the last year and a half had taught us, and what it didn't. What we thought about the future and where we were at now. We were still good friends. And then she left.

I do remember always liking the letters I got from her after she left the mission.

I also remember being a little nervous to call her after I got back. It took a few days.

April 2009 mission reunion. That is where things changed. I flew out to see family and friends. She came down from Boise. I remember seeing her at the reunion. She ran up and squeezed my cheeks with the palms of her hands while saying "it's you, you're here!" and then walked off.

I thought "Well that was an interesting thing to do".

But that weekend turned out to be one of the better ones in my life. We spent most of the following day together. Talking, laughing, explaining. I drove her around and showed her my old neighborhood. We swung on the swings. The entire time I felt different around her. I couldn't get over it. She was different, she was special to me. I liked her. More than I thought I should. More than I thought I could.

So anyways, that day went quite well and then I flew back to North Carolina. She was constantly on my mind, which frustrated me because I was 2000 miles away, broke and in college. We talked more, I stopped calling, things fizzled. But it never died. It couldn’t. One late night in July I realized why I was so restless. I missed her. After that, long distance, college, money, nothing seemed to matter but seeing her.

I have learned in life that if you really want something, you need to act. And the more grand the venture the bigger the step of action. So I called Anna mid August, we talked for a few days. Then I bought a plane ticket and flew out to Boise for a week. Then I bought a plane ticket for her to fly out to North Carolina for Thanksgiving. And I may have told her I loved her. Which was fun to say. And see her reaction (she didn't say a word for a good five minutes). I flew out to Utah for New Years.

A blog could be written about each of those trips that we took. And I think that is a good way to say how I was feeling. I loved her. Everything about her. The way she would sing randomly, dance, point and laugh, smile, everything.

I'll tell y'all a little secret. When I decided to move to Utah to be closer to her, I knew I wanted to marry her. She made me feel like myself. I could be me, and I loved her for her. What more could you ask for.

So I moved, and she went on the trip with me. What a great trip. I have seen her nearly every day since. And each day I learn more about her, more about me, and I'm so excited for the future. It is insane to think that such strong emotion could come from a simple chance meeting on our way to a little known country.

She has been the best thing in my life. I have never felt so at peace than when I am around her. It has been quite a ride, and I don't think it will slow down any time soon.

What’s life without risks? What’s life without love?