How We Met « Love At First Glance.

On A Plane to Africa

Tuesday, July 31st in How We Met | No comments (Edit)

The Virgin Atlantic flight set for Johannesburg had seats 34c and 34b reserved for Beth & Kim.

Beth had started her travels almost 20 hours prior in Atlanta, GA where she spent Christmas with her family. She then caught a plane in NYC after a 4 hour lay-over there before her flight to Heathrow airport. She wasn’t feeling well the whole time. Nerves about going to Africa combined with missing flights made her belly ache and like most travelers jet lag starts to kick in once you’ve flown over more than one time zone. She landed at Heathrow safely and had to wait another 5 hours until her plane left for Africa. What to do in such a large airport that won’t tell you the terminal you fly out of until about 20 minutes before departure. Sleep. She found a bench on the way to an empty terminal and took a nap. Setting her phone alarm to be sure she woke. About an hour before the flight she found somewhere to sit in the busy main terminal and had a bite to eat. She was called for her plane. Africa awaits her arrival.

Kim got on the bus and arrived at the airport as needed about 2 hours prior to the flight. As a professional dancer he’s used to working long hours and being up late training so a 9:45pm flight was a very normal time to be hustling around. Whether it be at an airport or on a dance floor.

Beth boarded the plane knowing this was the final leg of her journey and was looking forward to 11 hours of potential rest and relaxation. She was seated on aisle of a three-seat row. There was one empty seat right next her. All those years of yoga were going to pay off. She could bend her body sideways and sleep on the extra seat! Paradise.

Kim boards the plane and with a ton of hand baggage as he and his brother were planning to do some diving while he was in SA. Avoiding the extra cost of baggage fees, he carried allot onboard. He situated his bags and approached Beth’s extra seat.

Oh no. She thought. This guy looks wide awake and he’s taking my head pillow! ”Don’t worry I don’t go to the bathroom much,” says Kim in a rushed but cute mixed English and South African accent.

Beth buried her nose in a book as she always does when she’s flying. She gets so involved in the book that she forgets that she’s taking off. On occasion has even missed a plane at the airport with the same technique. She’s wearing her dorky glasses and hasn’t showered since GA. She’s not looking her finest.

Kim bright-eyed and with his ready for anything attitude sits down and starts getting situated in his seat by placing his sweater on his lap and looking through the magazines in front of him.

The plane takes off. Kim says, ”So what do you think of Bush?” Beth replies, ”He’s an idiot. What do you think?”

They meet.

Beth Explores Africa

Tuesday, July 31st in How We Met | No comments (Edit)

Correspondence Continues
The modern invention of communicating, the text, is used by many. Friends text. Lovers text. Colleagues text. Best friends text. Husbands and Wives text. Do two complete strangers text? Yes- Those too! Kim sent Beth the first text of many about 3 days into her South African trip saying hi and wondering what she was up to? She sent Kim one back saying she made it to Cape Town and she was enjoying herself. The continued to get to know each other via the ‘text’ method for the entirety of her month long trip. He left after two weeks to go back to cold and damp London, England where he works.

When, if at all, will they meet again?

Bye Beautiful Beach…, originally uploaded by The Magins.

Beth visited South Africa. She found the climate, the fauna, and the scenery to be very similar to Southern California. Except she could feel an undercurrent of hate and distrust among many of the people. Now that Apartheid has lifted there is allot of political unrest and really not much order politically or socially in SA. People that have power that don’t know what to do with it. Other people want power than may or may not know what to do with it. Most people want change but don’t know how to go about making it. For those who have, they get on with life. For those who don’t have, they get on with life. These are just a sample of what I experienced. More photos to come.

Kim and Beth continue to text.

Their First Date

Tuesday, July 31st in How We Met | No comments (Edit)

In Front of Palace., originally uploaded by The Magins.

Beth received a text from Kim inquiring about her arrival to Heathrow. She gives the date. He asks if he can take her for lunch? She agrees. He gets to the airport after a small delay and takes her to a Palace for a tour and lunch. The photos are the gardens at the Palace. She then flew into Prague for a bit of fun with her best friend Mandy where they met up with an Italian that thought highly of Beth. He’s photographed here as well. Kim made plans with Beth to pick her up at the airport and bring her for dinner the night before she was leaving to go back to the states. Sure enough he did. They took a walk along the Thames after he booked her into a hotel, very close to the airport so he could easily pick her up in the morning and get her to her international flight on time. Dinner was fabulous. It was as if they had had many dinners before this first. He dropped her at the hotel and went home.

The next morning he was there on time to pick her up and bring her to the airport. They had a small breakfast at the hotel and then it was off to Heathrow for the last time in a week. He sat with her until it was time for her to go through the gate. She left. He smiled. So did she.

Will they REALLY see each other again?

Getting to know each other in California

Tuesday, July 31st in How We Met | No comments (Edit)

Click on the photo below for a few more photos.

Let’s get some lunch!, originally uploaded by The Magins.

They talked non-stop for the next month on skype and by phone. Some conversations were as long as 4 hours! They shifted their schedules to be able to talk with each other despite the 8 hour time difference. They made a mutual decision that they needed to spend more time near each other to get to know each other better. So he came to California for a two-week trip. That trip turned into three more trips the last one being their wedding!