After 24 years, I got the chance to meet the most amazing person ever.
About 2 months ago I made contact with someone who completely changed my life and whom I've never met. After a few years of searching off and on again, I finally did it. I was lucky. We are lucky.
At first we talked via email. That lasted a day, or two. Then it was through instant messanger. That lasted maybe a few days. Then it was phone calls. Then it was a visit to her home. Our connection was instantaneous and it was as if we had known each other forever. Here is someone I had wanted to meet and talk to for as long as I can remember, and the first time we chatted, I was at a loss of words. She kept asking me, 'Ok, next question?' and I was speechless. Maybe it was shock, or excitement. I don't know.
After we each got over the initial excitement, we talked about anything and everything. Here was a person I literally knew nothing about, but I felt like I could tell her and talk to her about anything. It was an intense feeling of secure. Listening to her tell me about her life and her family seemed surreal to me. I'm sure the same was for her. We filled each other in on the last 24 years of our lives. She told me all about her life and I told her all about mine. I told her things I've never told other people.
We became friends instantly, and we never stopped talking to each other. Literally. After we cought up on history, we connected in our everyday lives. She has given me direction in places that I was lost. She helped me cope with my struggles, and celebrated with me. I think I helped her seal a portion of her past. I was glad to give her peace of mind with information. I was glad to know finally where I came from.
I had been working on Christmas travel plans for a while when I decided that I wanted to meet her. It didn't seem fair to come all the way home, and not make the short trip to see her. After a hashing out of several different plans we came to a common agreement for what we would do. After an extremely long and uncomfortable day of flying, we met for the first time. She picked me up from the airport. I even suprised myself with not crying that very moment.
Over the next three days we talked more, visited with her family and friends and became closer than I even thought would have been possible. I met her parents, and siblings, her children, and her husband. An amazing family that I sometimes even share resemblances to! That's a first!
Spending time with her was incredible. Watching her mannerisms, and the way she interacted with her family. Being around her was a dream come true. My only regret of the entire trip was how short it was. Unfortunately we didn't have as much time as we both would have liked. I would never trade the time we shared though. It was everything we both wanted.
After a long drive home we finally said our good-byes. That was the hardest part of everything. After only three days together I found it extremely hard to say goodbye. I think we both shared that sentiment, maybe her even a little more than I.
I still haven't fully processed all the events of the last few days.