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I ran up the stairs and jumped into my mom’s bed, “That was the best first date I’ve ever been on. I am going to marry him.” I’m not sure if she believed me, or if she thought it was the Spotted Cow talking, but I was right. I get to marry that boy in 50 days.
Our first date was in December of 2021, but our story starts in the summer of 2019. I was going into my junior year of college. School was my top priority, but I admit I became slightly distracted when a cute boy from my hometown followed me on social media. Of course, I did some investigating (aka Instagram stalking). I found out that this boy played junior hockey in Omaha (my college town) and that he was currently attending college at the United States Air Force Academy—this earned him the title of Air Force Hockey Boy in the group message. My younger brother was applying to college at the Academy; so being the good sister I am, I thought it was only right that I ask Air Force Hockey Boy if he had any pointers.
Matt and I had good banter (I thought so at least) and planned to go on a date over the 4th of July because we would both be back in Wisconsin. I drove seven hours only to get ghosted that weekend. He wasn’t giving me the effort I wanted, so slowly we lost touch. I secretly hoped that I would run into him over holiday breaks, but our paths never crossed.
Two years later, I felt my phone vibrate in my scrub pocket during my clinical rotations. My stomach dropped when I picked up my phone and read “Snapchat from Matt.” He said, “Hey, how are ya?” I was annoyed, because he had ghosted me for two years, and thought that he could just walk back into my life. I was also giddy. I responded with a simple “?” He immediately texted me and apologized and said he had some explaining to do.
Over Christmas break, he picked me up (in an Uber) for our first date. We spent the following days living in what felt like a Hallmark movie. Eventually, I went back to school and Matt went back to pilot training. We were both in the busiest academic year of our lives and lived 15 hours from each other. On paper it was “bad timing” but we both knew that this was it. Our weekly Facetime average was about 15 hours, and we traveled to see each other any chance we could.
The more I learned about Matt, the more confident I grew in the statement I made to my mom after our first date. We were engaged the following Christmas and are getting married on the 5th of July—exactly five years after Air Force Hockey Boy ghosted me. (Don’t worry, I’ll never stop giving him a hard time about that.)
I don’t know a whole lot about marriage yet, but what I can say is it’s worth it to wait for someone who makes you feel like you’re living in a Hallmark movie. Matt is more than I could have dreamed of when thinking of who my husband would be. I am lucky to love him, and can’t wait to start our lives together as husband and wife.
For the last time,
Grace Theisen
