One of these stories I tell myself is that I have a horrible memory. However, for important moments in life, I seem to remember them distinctly. It’s as if they they were prepared ahead of time and when I saw it, something huge shifted in life. Meeting my wife was one of those times. This story of our meeting was so built on chance, that it really continued my belief that things happen for a reason.
During a summer break from college, I came back home and I was going to work a summer job at Busch Gardens. At the time, I was dating my girlfriend from high school and also about to start my first senior year of college (engineering is usually a 4.5-5 year program). I was just looking to get an easy summer job to make a little bit of money to go back to college with.
My best friend, Jamie, worked at Busch Gardens the previous summer and he told me that operations was the most chill job to work. That was exactly what I was looking for, something chill. My girlfriend had also worked the previous summer, but she worked as a photographer. The photographer position required a little bit more qualification based on the job description, and I just did not want to apply for it because I felt like I didn’t meet those qualifications. I got into this huge argument with my girlfriend because of my lack of drive and how I was okay with just getting the safer position even though it paid a little less. That argument is what led to me to apply to be a photographer instead.
As I was getting ready for the summer, I was chatting with someone I fenced with who also lived in Tampa. I told her what my plans were for the summer, and she told me that one of her classmates was also working in photography. She told me to keep an eye out for Caitlyn. The only description I was given was that she was blonde with asymmetrical hair. I had no idea what that meant, but I kept an eye out nonetheless.
I went weeks of working Busch Gardens with nothing. I kind of assumed that she was not working in the same area as me. Until one day, I noticed that a Caitlyn had signed in the morning when I was working the afternoon. I remember the next day, I was coming in to my shift and then I saw this blonde girl wearing a yellow shirt (that is what the photographers wore), walking towards me. I remember smiling at her and said hey as I kept eye contact. Right as she was passing, I glanced at her name tag and saw Caitlyn. While I was not paying close attention to her eyes (because I really wanted to see her name tag without being a creep), that is the first memory of Caitlyn I have. Her eyes. Something about them drew me in, and I didn’t even realize at that time how impactful it was.
My first real interaction with her was when we were stationed on the same side to harass guests to get a photo taken. I remember debating how to begin the conversation with her since I knew a little about her already. I think that is the classic stalker dilemma. My opening line was, “So you know this girl right.?” Bold and awkward. Perfectly me.
It was an instant connection/friendship. We started texting all of the time and we had so much to talk about. I always found it interesting how we managed to get the same shifts all of the time. Though eventually they sought to split us up because we were talking too much.
I always looked back on it as crazy that our significant others at the time were what brought us together. My long distance many times threatened to break up my ex girlfriend and myself for 4 years. If at any time we decided to not be together in that whole time, I would not have met Caitlyn. Anyway, to round out the story of becoming a couple, I broke up with my girlfriend before I went back to college. We both realized we wanted different things in life and my meeting Caitlyn helped me realize that there were more personalities that I wanted to try to get to know. I had no idea that Caitlyn was going to be who I would date or even marry! Eventually, Caitlyn also broke up with her boyfriend and then we started dating not long after.
Even though that story seems so perfect to me, its really what I know today about Caitlyn, in terms of my spiritual journey, that really has me knowing I am with the right person. Since I met her, Caitlyn called herself a witch. She did not have a strong religious belief like my ex girlfriend had. She believed in a different spiritual belief. When we started dating, I was actually concerned that her beliefs did not match up with mind. I even remember having the belief that a relationship is meant to grow you both personally and spiritually, and I was worried I would not grow spiritually. Hah, what a crazy notion to think back on. After my dad died, I realized that many of the beliefs that Caitlyn just naturally had were things that I would find myself reading about and learning.
Caitlyn was far more connected to the other side than I originally gave her credit for, and not only that, she taught me a huge lesson on the importance of people being who they are. We all grow the most by interacting with people that are being their truest self.
