Weasel & Gwen`

. . . Jake & Rachel?

Christmas Day, 1997. My computer knowledge came to a crashing halt when I couldn't find 'Windows' on my new PC-My First Computer!! Several weeks later, and a lot of headaches.. I was beggining to understand the basics of my computer, and the internet. I began chatting in early Febuary, 98', at HansonHitz and, being a mad Hanson Fan at the time, loved it! However, chatting took on a whole new meaning when I met Weasel. His sister was a Hanson Fan, unlike himself. Although he had a very high tolerance for Hanson and was rather fond of the chat, afterall, what average male wouldn't Love tons of obsessive girls fighting over him in a chat room?!Weasel, his friend Santa, a New-Zealand girl called Gem, and I spent hours on end chatting and getting to know each other. We often joked that one day we would all go to each others houses for a 'Slumber Party' but it was all in the name of wishful thinking. Afterall, Weasel and Santa were in Oregon, USA, Gem was in New Zealand and I was in Australia! The thought of us even calling each other seemed rediculous at the time.. or, was it? It soon came to our attention that calling each other Weasel, Gwen, Gem and Santa just couldn't go on! So, Weasel became Jacob, Gwen became Rachel, Santa turned out to be Jesse and Gem..was Gemma! Around May we all had a fall-out with Gem.. which left us all wandering in differant directions. Jesse came online less, which gave Jake and I more time to get to know each other without the distraction of the four of our silly jokes! He was 14 at the time, alittle younger than me but surprisingly alot more mature in many ways. With Jake often being very shy, we clashed alot in our personalities.. but my loudness seemed to keep us going alot of the time.. and soon enough, Jake was questioning weather it was possible we could meet! Us? Meet! It seemed ... caotic! With his Summer Break and my Birthday coming up it seemed the perfect time to try..? The first shock came when my Mum agreed! There I was rehearsing what I would say to back up my query of weather some internet guy could stay with us and she'd already said Yes!! She liked Jacob from the beggining. So did I. His parents were a little harder to coaxe though, afterall, it wasn't every day parents choose to send their only 14 Year Old son off to another country, by themself, and with an internet friend!!!! July rolled in and excitement buzzed in both America and Australia as Jake prepared for his trip to Australia.. it was really going to happen!!! On July 10th 1998, the day before my 15th Birthday, Jacob struggled through a 16 hour flight from Portland, Oregon to Los Angeles, California then straight onto Sydney, Australia! His flight came in around 6.15am. My stomach was doing somersaults as I waited at the terminal! What if I didn't like him?? What if he was..old? What if this was all just some sicko's idea of a joke??? But my questions came to a standstill when a young male, dressed in a black and white shirt.. Nikes, black pants and taller than I could ever have imagined, clambered down the arrival terminal... could it be him?!?! Confused and nervous, Jake and I took to wandering around each other until finally Jake saw the resemblance to my pictures... '..Rachel?'.. Omigod!! I lost my breath completly and began chanting out 'Omigod's over and over while asking for the hug we had pre-planned to happen at this moment!! His arms hung loosely around my neck, he was mucccch taller than I'd expected! It had really happened!! Here I was at Sydneys International Airport with a guy I had never met, only ever talked to, seen pictures of or chatted with for several months on the Internet with his arms around my neck!! It just ..didn't happen to normal 14 Year Olds?? The next 8 days went by too just too darn fast, and before we knew it, Jake and I were back at the airport, balling our eyes out and having to say G'Bye! It was awful. In those short eight days, I believe I was with the only person in the Intire World who Understood me.. and I was truly HaPpY. On saying GoodBye I promised Jacob I'd get a job, like he had to in order to buy his plane ticket over (Our Parents were merely loaners.. not payers!), and I'm proud to say I kept that promise by getting a job at Dominoes Pizza not long after. Gradually, I made enough money for a return ticket to Oregon and since Jacob had visited for my Birthday it seemed only fair I returned the favour and visited him on his 15th Birthday in Febuary 99'!

Feb 1st, 1999 I geared myself up at the Airport. This time, we didn't park in the Arrivals, we parked in the Departures!!! Here I was, a girl who's Mum rarely even let her catch the train alone.. boarding a plane by myself to an unknown country to stay with a family I had never met for an intire month! It was like..a dream? A novel..? A movie!! The plane ride was long, cramped.. and boring, but it was worth it. The intire 16 hour trip encluded a stop over in LA and so-called 'meals' but nothing can ever fill in 16 hours of sitting on your butt! Seeing Jacob again was like.. living a fantasy novel! I always believed it could happen...but only deep deep down in the bottom of my stomach! His family were awesome and because of my month long stay I've now got a new Mom, Sister, Dad & Grannie! I had the all time best month of my life but coming home was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Walking away from the greatest time of my life took alot of energy..! I cried to intire way from PortLand to LA-where I got lost at the airport-and then partially from LA to home..! *Sniff* My family and friends seemed happy to see me when I arrived back, un-tanned and stinking hot! Afterall, it was difficult going from 2 degree's celcious to 30 in 16 hours!!! However, no matter how much McDonalds they stuffed into me that day, no matter how many stories they cared to listen to me tell... nothing could make being home as good as being in Oregon, with Jake!! I'd been to Disneyland, seen my first snow, attended American Highschool just like on TV..!! ...and it makes me miserable just to remind myself I left it all to be here! I hope to go back some time.. maybe tomorrow.. maybe in a few years, but I know I will eventually. I still work at Dominoes, and Jake still works at Dairy Queen.. but... an on-off long distance relationship can't always work.. and being apart makes things horribly difficult handle. While Jakes willing to give it a go.. I'm not soo optimistic that we should go on living out our fairytale. That's not to say I don't Love him! Afterall, if it wasn't for Jake I don't know what I'd be doing right now... but I don't want to think about that! He's the best friend I never could have dreamed of... cos' he's just too special! While being saddened that we're not together, it brings us closer when we are in the same country b'cos we don't have the time to fight in person like normal couples!! Sadly though we somehow manage to fight from other countries and right now, that fighting has brought our friendship to its maximum capacity and things aren't looking too good! But wish us luck while keeping hold of your own dreams cos' you never know what might happen to make them become reality.

This met on the net site was created by Gwennie Next Previous Next 5 Index Join the webring

*.Main.* StorY!*AdoptioN* gRoOvY-Tv!!* GrOoVy GoObErS*ShAmRoCk!* S.O.S!* BuDdY* Thê IntërÑêt* A Poem.* About Me.* Cliques'* Cyber-Pets!* ThanX!* Webrings.* ScrapBook* Friends* Journal* Aidan* That Thing You Do* Weasel&Gwen* Bombettes*

© Gwennie. 1999