One Year Anniversary

As I'm sitting here eating my breakfast, I think on all the good times I've had with Jay Kinzie in the past year. We've had a few rough patches, but we always manage to pull through. I wish we could be together today to celebrate all our hard work from the last year, but later today we are going to have a good video call and share some Toblerone. I'm looking forward to this with great happiness. :)

We started as just a simple conversation late at night one year ago. Neither one of us could sleep and hadn't talked to the other in four months. We ended up spending all night together and most of the next day. Then we messaged each other endlessly until we got to be together again. Sometime during that period of messages we became a couple.We knew our relationship would be hard because we lived five hours apart, but that didn't stop us from boldly beginning one. Nearly all of my long breaks from Rose were spent with Jay. Sometimes he came to me and sometimes I came to him, but we did everything we could to make great memories.

Over fall break, Jay met my dad. It was a slightly awkward meeting, but everything worked out great. Dad approved, and I was the happiest I had been in years. During that break, Jay and I went to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. Like all visitors to that amazing place, Jay loved the water clock and the glass sculpture in the stairwell. Our very first picture together was taken in the basement next to the train engine. We played checkers too, and I lost horribly. I even tried to change to rules to help me and still lost. Jay was just too sharp for me to outwit. Sometime around Fall Break, I can't remember before or after, Jay got Jess and Dawn. They are the sweetest kitties in the whole world.

Thanksgiving brought it's own set of memories and crazy stories. I had survived finals with minimal damage, and Jay was staying with Mike that week so he was easy for me to talk to. Jay got to meet my entire family at our annual Thanksgiving Dinner. It was delicious as usual, and everyone seemed to love him. We played Phase 10 after the meal, and Jay was cheating! Dakota brought me the paddle because she didn't like seeing him cheat. I chased him around with it a little bit, but he was too quick and strong for me to catch. He ended up catching me and showering me in kisses. It was super sweet, like all the things Jay does to me.

After the three worst weeks I've ever had at Rose, it was time to take Christmas Break. Since I no longer had a roommate, Jay had spent most of those three weeks in my room keeping me entertained. We spent the first four or five days of break with my family and then went up to Chicago. It was my first time ever in Chicago, and I had a great time. Jay's family didn't waste any time showing their weird quirks. The first memory I have of Ellen is of her freaking out because I had pierced ears and she didn't. She still has a lot of growing to do. I met most of Jay's family and friends over that break. Jay's parents took us and Ellen into downtown Chicago on Christmas Eve for their family tradition of eating at the Walnut Room and walking through the Christmas Market. I think I even forgot my hot coco glass at their house. It was so magical. It would have been better without the cold rain, but still quite magical. Jay and I got an amazing kissing picture in front of the huge Christmas Tree that was sitting in the middle of the market. After returning home that night, we turned the TV to a Christmas movie marathon and got out the Champagne. It was definitely a night I will never forget. The next day Jay's dad took pictures of us together. They turned out amazing, and I have one sitting on my desk right now. I took the picture that they would use for their annual Christmas Card. It was really cool to get that in the mail. Jay's mom tried to cook dinner, but she has an issue with cooking, and it didn't quite turn out. It was still pretty tasty though. Jay took me to a New Year's Party at Emily's house. Jay's old friends are quite unique. I don't really know how to describe them, but I will probably never forget them. They are just too different to blend into the background. I wasn't very social at that party because I felt like crap, but I wanted to go anyways so Jay took me. I was glad that I went. We got to share a kiss right as the year changed. It was so romantic.

About two weeks later Jay moved out of his parent's house and into a nearby apartment because his kitties were harming his mom's business. I drove up to Chicago by myself for the first time ever, and the weather was terrible. I was so glad that I came though. It was fantastic to be able to help him start a new phase in his life. I have so many memories in that apartment. For the next six months we took turns driving that horribly boring stretch of road between Terre Haute and Chicago. We got to spend every other weekend or at least every third weekend together and all of our long breaks. It probably wasn't so good for our relationships with friends, but it was very good for us as a couple.

After Rose was finished for the year, I moved in with Jay. It was the best choice I ever made. All the love and joy and happiness of the summer of 2010 cannot be captured in words. Brickworld was a unique experience, but I loved it. I am just as much of a Lego fan as Jay. I have just run out of time to really build things. Jay always has a table though so one day I will be able to build something and put it on display for children to admire. We went to many cool places, and shared the long drive to Colorado. Colorado is an amazing place, and I would love to go back there and live. Our weekend at Joyful Journey was amazing. I will definitely be spending more time at spas in the future. While in Colorado we both made promises to get into shape once and for all. We talked to Dr. Cooper and figured out what needed to happen, and we have done quite well so far. Jay is the thinnest he has ever been in his recent memory, and I'm the thinnest I have been since I was ten. We are making phenomenal progress. We tried to teach his kitties how to walk on leashes. It didn't really go over very well, but we did try. We took a really awesome city tour of Chicago and got to ride on a double-decker bus. Jay and I made JayBear in the last weeks of summer, and I'm so glad we did.

At the end of the summer I had to follow through with something that I thought would be great. I chose to study abroad and had to leave my family, friends, and most of all Jay for an entire year. Since I've come here, I've been wondering if it really was the right decision for me. I honestly don't know if it was or not, but I do know that I am totally in love with Jay. If this first month here has taught me anything, it's that I love Jay endlessly and there is nothing that can change that fact. Four thousand miles has not made me love him any less. In fact, it has made me love him more and wish that this year will pass quickly. I am glad that I have JayBear with me. He keeps me company when Jay is not here. I sleep in Jay's superman sweatshirt. I love having that thing. I have a picture of us and a letter from him on my desk. I got so used to Jay buying me flowers at random times that I even had to buy a pot of roses. I love putting my shoes on every day and knowing that the red stains came from our time in Colorado. I love knowing that my sun glasses were bought one spring day when I was driving to go see Jay. Before I left, Jay snuck a Lego piece onto my keyring. I carry that with me every day and the keys to his apartment even though he will have moved by the time I get back. I even carry my cellphone around, even though it's not very useful anymore, just so I can have pictures of Jay in my hand. JayBear goes with me almost everywhere, and even though people laugh, I still bring him. I wear a different necklace from Jay every day. The webcam I use to talk to Jay and everyone else was a gift from him back in January. Most of what I brought with me, reminds me of Jay or is from Jay. :) Most days I cry because I miss him so much, but I know I will be in his arms again. That single truth is what drives me to keep moving forward every day because each day that passes is one day closer to being reunited with my love.

We will be together in Zwolle, Holland on October 22nd. I am very excited and cannot wait to see him. I will probably jump on him, and I know that I will hug him so tight it hurts my arms. It will only be for three short days, but we are still getting valuable time together. Jay is coming to see me for Christmas. He will be here for about three weeks. I am so excited that I might explode. I'm trying to plan lots of cool places for us to visit. We will definitely be going to a New Year's Eve Party, although here it's called Silvester. All the same, it will still be great fun. Hopefully, I can visit Jay in the break between my semesters or over spring break. I really would love to do that. Time is passing quicker than I thought it would, and I know I will be in his arms again before I realize it. Until then though, I have to go to classes, learn things, pass exams, and take lots of pictures. There are only 25 days until I get to see Jay in Zwolle!

<3 Jess