First Glance to First Date

You know that moment when you catch that special someone’s eye? It’s like you were always meant to be and as soon as you saw them you knew; that is the person you're going to marry!

Well, Juan and my story isn’t like that. In fact, I did my best after seeing him for the first time to send the message that I wasn’t available (and to be fair we both weren’t really available) and he, not to be told what he could/couldn’t be interested in, acted as if I wasn’t in the room the rest of the evening. Not the best of impressions.

I had just reached my childhood dream of getting a horse.  Under advice I was trying to treat my broken heart by busying my mind, heart and body with a wild filly. Time heals all wounds, well most, right? Driving to and from Rexburg takes time, and getting my little pony all set up was taking time AND money.

Me and Bri

I was set to be fixed and back in the dating scene sooner than later, and if not, I’d have a horse to ride. So there I was, in Rexburg at Annie’s apartment, she had so graciously offered to train my horse in Rexburg, and this young man walks in and maybe I blow him off…Now before we all get judgmental, I had just gotten my heart broken.   I wasn’t looking for dates; I was doing an arts and crafts project with my little sister, which for someone like me, takes a LOT of concentration.  PLUS, any guy in Rexburg going to BYUI would be at least 4 years my junior.

Previously one poor BYUI lad did win my favor. He showed up to the ranch where my horse was all done up in his cowboy attire to do some work for the land owner, by the end of his visit he got my number. We went out, had a fantastic time up until he learned he I was 27. He was 22. It took me a good part of an hour to convince him I wasn’t teasing him. Everything went south from there.

Finished products of crafting with Emma

This time around I barely looked up and said hi when Juan came by.  He started talking about dating with Annie’s sister and I obviously had thoughts to share and started butting in, but Juan, not forgetting how short I’d been with him, quickly cut me off and owned the conversation. 

No big deal, that is until I happened to see him the next day. My sister Emma and I went to church with Annie and he came around a second time. My heart melted and I whispered to my sister, “He’s really cute. Too bad I could never date him because he’s a child”. We both laughed and that was that.

Let’s be honest, Em was happy to hear me say that, it just meant that after I went back to Utah she’d have a chance.

Months later I got a LinkedIn message from him. It took me a while to know who he was, since I didn’t really catch his name when I met him. The guy I remembered at Annie’s was very much not Hispanic. Juan had landed an internship in Cali with the same company I had just resigned from and wanted insider info, a mentor of sorts, or so he said… Turns out he had his own little crush going on and was trying to find reasons to contact me.  After 5 days of emails, 2 phone calls and a last minute request from UVU for me to attend an event in Cali. I manned up and asked him to be my date. 

Interesting enough, about two weeks before all this, my mother predicted I would get married soon. I was humored since she’d never commented on my dating life before and after 10 years of dating suddenly it was “time”.

First date activities