Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.
Alright, first things first. With the exception of two dance dates (that I don't count because I wasn't interested) in high school, I didn't go out on a date until I was 23 years old. For many years I despised this fact. I felt on a pretty consistent basis that I was never going to find someone who loved me for me, with my quirks, patterns of shyness, lack of flirtation and the list goes on and on. Thank GOD Carlos came along. He's more than made up for the many dateless nights with so much more than I could ever imagine. I've come to realize that God has some pretty awesome plans, that are SO beyond mine, and as I look back at those dateless nights I'm so grateful that I've never had my heart broken by someone. He kept me without that bit of sadness and baggage so that I could meet Carlos and have a fun, refreshing, romantic relationship that did not and will not sour.
So I figured I'd tell you about my first date with Carlos and my first date ever. Nothing about it is extravagant, but Carlos planned a very special and personal date for the two of us that I will always remember.
Carlos came and picked me up from my parent's house, with a basket and a flower arrangement in hand. Knowing my love for cheese, he made a gift basket for me, filled with several different cheeses, olives and crackers from Whole Foods (YUM!) and my favorite root beer (Weinhards). He also had a flower arrangement for me (first ever flowers that I got from a guy - not from a family member for my birthday), that was one of many gorgeous arrangements to come.
We got in his truck and made our first stop at the grocery store. Why? haha Because he knew I liked using the Coinstar machine there and he had a bunch of change. Why do I love Coinstar? Because it kind of feels like I'm winning money....I don't know. Anyways....
We moved on to our next location - Borders. We hung out there for a while in the music section, listening to some tunes and he bought me a cd (Badly Drawn Boy "The Hour of the Bewilderbeast"), which became the soundtrack for our date that day. I actually ended up walking down the isle to the beginning of their song "The Shining" from that album. (Click to listen) I felt it was an ode to our beginnings. =)
Carlos made reservations at Rocky Point for dinner. I felt so awkward at dinner like I had to keep talking. He just kept smiling at me going on and on like "isn't she so cute the way she thinks she has to keep talking". Dinner was delicious and our view was awesome.
Our last stop was Starbucks, where we just sat and talked and people watched and then talked some more. Although I already knew him as a friend, it was SO important to have a whole afternoon/evening to talk and get to know him that much more, and he get to know me as well. That Starbucks in Monterey burned down shortly after that. But we continued to have most of our important discussions at the Starbucks in Salinas =)
He drove me home after Starbucks and we hung out at my parents and watched "50 First Dates". It was the best, no pressure, relaxed yet special first date I could have imagined.
For the majority of my life, I thought the best first date would be at an amusement park so that you could have time to talk with the person and have a blast at the same time.
Carlos doesn't ride roller coasters. End of that story.
I'll take cheese over roller coasters. Which, in another full circle sort of way made it into my proposal story which was yet another wonderful date. Probably the best of all. =)
