This is a story that, unless it had actually happened to me, I would never have believed possible. It's a story of love. Of a love so strong, that makes anything possible.
My story begins back in April 1998 in London, UK, just after Easter. My brother had just got the internet and I decided to do a bit of "surfing". Upon chance I came across a chat room ... Heartland Chat at Geocities ... and decided to take a look. So in I went using the nick-name "loopy" (don't ask why!!). Also in the room was Phil_35. He was around the same age as me so I began chatting to him. Right from the start we got along really well, and found we had a lot in common. Each day after that, we would arrange to meet in there ... how I looked forward to my daily chats with my new friend in the USA. After a few months he had to go into hospital to have an operation ... this was when I first realised the reality that I had come to feel more than just friendship towards him. Up to then I had put any thoughts of romance out of my mind. Even when he had told me that he loved me, I just chose to ignore it. But this time it was different, and I felt an overwhelming need to tell him that I loved him too ... so that's what I did. After that our feelings for each other just got stronger and stronger.
Almost exactly a year after we had first met in the chat room, I decided that it was about time that I finally got to meet the man I had grown to love so strongly. So, with my stomach in knots, I took the 9 hour flight to North Carolina. I got off the plane nervously, and there in front of me was Phil with the most beautiful bunch of red roses. We just fell into each others arms, and held each other tight.
We were only together for a week, but that was one of the best weeks of my life. I felt I could be myself with him ... I had finally found someone who was as crazy as me !! ;-) During that week we spent every second together ... going fishing at the lake, watching videos, shopping, walking, eating ... just him and me having the time of our lives.
Then came the time to leave ... one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. By then we both knew our feelings were true, so we arranged for me to go back for 90 days over Christmas and New Year. (90 days is the maximum I can visit the States without a Visa). After that, who knows?......
When people had told me in the past that they had found love on the internet, I just laughed. But, believe me, it can and does happen. IT'S HAPPENED TO ME !!!
Meeting your love like this might not be the usual way, but it can work ... we have proved it.
I'm not saying it's all sunshine and flowers. A long distance relationship is not an easy thing ... there's a lot of hard times, and a lot of tears. But, for me, meeting Phil has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I have found my true love.