“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller. Over the next few months we will be sharing local love stories of area residents. Below is Emily and Dave of Conshohocken’s own love story, brought to you by The Inn at Bowman’s Hill.
If I were in the business of making confessions, I would honestly say I never believed I’d meet someone online. I generally just thought of my time online as a great way to gather an arsenal of stories about dates-gone-sour and other ridiculousness that I think most people experience on a dating website. My friends loved it, too, as the stories often brought about laughs so hysterical that we were left in tears reflecting on what had become of my dating life. Beyond my mild exaggerations about these men and their hang-ups, however, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe I should be getting comfortable with the idea that I’m not the marrying kind. But just as my grandmother was getting ready to sell my dowry on eBay®, I got an e-mail from a middle school teacher in Norristown.
We agreed to meet at a local bar, known for its selection of wine and whiskey. He drove in from the suburbs to meet up (a point in his favor already) and when I ran into him in the street on my way to the bar, I recognized him immediately. We hugged and went inside where we struggled to hear each other over the jazz band that was set up next to our table. He had a tan, a warm smile and kind eyes. Oh, and there were dimples involved. Still though, I couldn’t help but be skeptical. Surely he had some kind of crazy ex-wife or major personality flaw that I just hadn’t uncovered yet. A few hours and two glasses of wine later (ok, maybe three,) he offered to drive me home.
I was reluctant to take a ride from someone who was essentially a stranger but as we walked to his car, I realized that we were not walking in the direction of the street where I had run into him earlier that night. Innocently, I asked what he had been doing before our date. He hesitated and looked a bit like a child who’d just been caught stealing cookies from the jar. My mind immediately started to run wild with the worst case scenario. Had he double-booked the night? Was I his second date that day? Don’t be so crazy, Emily, maybe he just got lost finding his way to the bar. “Well,” he explained, “I was nervous to meet you so when I got here a couple of minutes early, I decided to walk around the block to calm my nerves.” For some reason, this struck a chord inside of me. It certainly didn’t sound like something a crazy person would do, and as he opened up my car door I began to suspect that perhaps he really was just as nice as he seemed. And just as you’ve probably guessed, I got home safely that night. We ended the date with a hug and he promised that he would be in touch.
To my surprise, when I got into my apartment that night I couldn’t stop smiling. He texted me when he got home to say he had a great time and that we would go out again soon. I couldn’t wait. This was the first time out of what was probably fifty first dates where I was actually looking forward to our second date. You see, in the past I had often given a second date in an effort to make sure I wasn’t judging these men solely on a first impression. Looking back, the second dates usually ended up being even more awkward or boring than the first. Could the teacher actually be different?
The second date was better than the first…. a trend that has pretty much continued throughout our entire relationship. He is kind, generous, and makes me laugh. He tells me I’m beautiful first thing in the morning, holds my hand more often than not and still opens my car door. By our third date, I suspected he could be something special and by our fifth date, I knew it. We moved in together on our seven month anniversary and, as of March 3, 2011, we are engaged to be married.
I wanted to share my story because if someone as cynical about online dating as me can find her match online, I firmly believe that anyone can. I personally used JDate.com, the leading online community for Jewish singles. The one and only thing that kept me on the site is the reminder that all I needed was one person. I didn’t need a dozen great first-dates or a lot of awesome guy-friends. I just needed one spark with one guy.
This Montgomery County local love story was brought to you by The Inn at Bowman’s Hill, an exclusive Bucks County Bed and Breakfast Inn located just 2 miles south of the town of New Hope, PA, across the scenic Delaware River from Lambertville, NJ. This beautiful New Hope Bed & Breakfast Inn, perhaps more akin to a boutique hotel, is the only 4-Diamond lodging in all of Bucks County and enjoys a serene location alongside the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, a 100-acre Bucks County nature preserve surrounded by mature woodland. The Inn at Bowman’s Hill provides the perfect setting to celebrate engagements, anniversaries, honeymoons, intimate weddings, commitment ceremonies, birthdays, girls’ weekends, and babymoons all year long. Check out their last minute deals and weekday specials.
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