So here's our Journey

[RickJustice 2]

Our long journey…

Hopefully some of the topics covered here will help some of you, as our journey went through some non-typical situations.

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We started communicating in Feb 2012 via FilipinoCupid.com. I was basically on there to learn more of my native language. Noni and I became pen pals. She was a bit too young for me, so I wasn’t expecting more than just casual pen pals. However, our similarities and differences complemented each other and on July 2012, we met for the first time.

By September 2012, we formally became a couple. And on Dec 9, 2012, I was in the PI for the 2^nd time and proposed to her, and we got engaged. I visited again around March 2013.

It wasn’t until the end of May 2013 that I filed a I-129F petition and got a NOA1 (May 28, 2013)

But the summer of 2013 was bad. She had started working for the 1st time, and well…the time apart from each other waiting for the NOA2, and her recent new sense of 'freedom' caused major problems. I didn’t have enough funds at the time to visit every 2-3 months. Anyways, by October 25 2013, our NOA2 was approved and shortly thereafter, we ended it. Receiving the embassy letter Dec 3, 2013 hurt.

This is where the story gets confusing.

I guess my head wasn’t right after that, searching for something to fill the gap, or what not. Anyways, I was introduced to a young lady in the PI and we started a relationship around January 2014 (yea I know...rebound). I visited her then, but at the same time, me and Noni met each other briefly to “formally” end our relationship which she returned the ring I gave her.

Me and the new girl wasn’t completely compatible and we ended our relationship the first week of Feb of 2014...(2 week relationship. lol)…shortly after returning back to the USA.

Me and Noni started communicating again as friends a week or so after, right around the same day we first started communicating in Feb 2012. I asked her if she wanted to just use the opportunity to visit the USA on our old petition that was set to ‘expire’ Feb 22, 2014 (the 3 months after NOA2). I told her she can use the visa and just come to the USA and if we work out, then we can marry and she can stay, or if she wanted to leave after a few months, then so be it. She didn’t want to. The USA wasn’t really her thing, and I guess too much drama between us.

Time went by, and my head still not being right, and as I said, I was still emotionally damaged goods, and I wasn’t thinking right….going through ‘revenge’, self-confidence, and rebound issues, so me and the girl I broke up with in Feb 2014 started talking again (Mercury Retrograde does that and for some reason gets ex’s to start talking with each other again...it's true..google it. lol) I decided to ask the new girl if she wanted to visit the USA, and if she did, then I’ll petition her. She said yes, and I petitioned her late May 2014. Almost to the exact same day I petitioned Noni the year prior.

But before the petition came back approved, I came to my senses and cancelled it ($$$ wasted) before it got approved, which at that time, I-129F was getting approved within 2-6 weeks.

So this is where the story gets back on track.

Here comes another Mercury Retrograde (every 3-4 months), and now me and Noni start talking again more seriously around late June. And she’s being more receptive this time. I decided, to hell with all the caution…I have been visiting the Philippines twice or more a year since July 2012, and it’s time to end this journey. I always believed there had to be a reason why fate took me to the PI because I didn’t have to go there as I was very successfully dating in the USA prior to my PI journey in 2012. So I decided to go one last time to the PI on my 40^th bday August 30, 2014 and spend it with Noni, who even though was no longer my fiancee, was still my bestest friend, as that is how we started. So I was going to end my PI journey with Noni, as she has always been the only one I have seen on every single visit (even in January 2014...even if it was just a two hours).

But before I left the USA, out of the blue, an idea came to me to apply for credit to get a bigger engagement ring. I knew I wasn’t going to get approved as my credit was bad from years ago, but I said to myself, “if I get approved then I will ask Noni again....I'll take it as a sign” To my biggest surprise, I was approved. "#######" came to my mind. lol.

Arrived in the PI on my bday, and a few days later, I tried to feel my way to see if Noni would be receptive to the idea of redoing the I-129F. Even after all the hurt, and though I didn't really want to admit it, I was still in love with her. Anyways, she didn't want to redo the I-129F…because of her fear of past issues, etc. I guess she was just too damn scared. So I said to myself, “whatever…never mind that idea...gonna return the ring and exchange it for a nice watch" since I was collecting watches around this time. Just gonna enjoy my last trip to the PI.

But the 2^nd to the last day in the PI, during my b-day celebration with Noni and my family there, my cousin talked to Noni, then to me, then back to Noni again. I guess she erased Noni’s fears, and Noni now was now receptive. That night, Sept 6 (PI time) I proposed for the 2^nd time…and she accepted. You know what they say about "if it was meant to be"... at least we got through some really bad stuff that destroys couples sometime in their relationship, and we still ended up together. One of relationship's hardest tests, and we past

I petitioned Noni on Sept 29, 2014 for another I-129F, we get our NOA1 on Oct 1. A few days later another thought came to me out of the blue. I wanted to call the embassy to see if there would be any problem with our old I-129F and embassy letter dated Dec 10, 2013 being mixed up with the new petition. I also wanted to see if there would be a way to extend the 3 month deadline (from the NOA2), if needed, to do the embassy interview, because we were going to try to get Noni here after her bday in the PI on April 2015. I was told that our Embassy Letter/invitation was still good. Apparently it gets renewed every 4 months, and good up to a year from the date on the letter. I was again shocked and surprised out of my mind. I was relieved too, that we can avoid the time apart issues that happened in 2013. (But still $$$$ wasted on the new petition. lol) She agreed to come here as soon as possible after getting the Visa.

So we made an appointment to St. Lukes, and the embassy within 2 weeks. I visit the PI for the interview. We get approved on the spot on October 23, 2014 (PI Time). And the NOA2 from the new I-129F gets approved on October 22, 2014 (USA time). Basically both get approved on the same day! Fate?!

Then another problem….

Her employer asked her to stay until the end of the holidays because they would be busy around that time. Noni felt she “owed” her employer because that was her “support” after we broke up in 2013. I was devastated in a way, frankly because I really wanted her in the USA asap and us married on Dec 9, on our first engagement day anniversary…plus I didn’t want anyone coming between us (ie…time apart issues).

I decide to message her manager, thanking her for taking care of Noni, and telling her our journey so far. I specifically stated also, I didn’t want our past issues to reappear, so to avoid it, it would be best if she was here as soon as possible. I never got a reply back, but she did talk to Noni and next thing I knew, Noni was now receptive to come as soon as possible.

I got her a plane ticket as soon as we got the Visa on hand first week of November to arrive the in the USA the last weekend of November.

We were trying to make up our minds to get married on our first communication anniversary Feb 28/29, or on our first engagement day anniversary Dec 9.

We decide to marry on Dec 9, 2014…which was a significant day for us, since it was the original plan a year ago, and also our first engagement day anniversary 2 years ago.

The day before our wedding we get into a big fight. This is when she gets pregnant….lol.

So anyways, we get married and I finally raise up enough money to file for her AOS in early May 2015. This is approx.. 3 months from her I-94 expiration. The AOS NOA1 was around the same time again as Noni’s first I-194 (and also the other girl’s), late May 2014 (within 1-2 days)

August 26 2015 comes, we interview, she gets approved August 27, 2015. This is a few days from my b-day…same week as my last visit to the PI last year. The baby’s due Sept 12, but if fate has it’s way again with specific dates reoccurring in our lives, August 29/30 (my last visit to the PI and my bday) or Sept 5/6, is when she’ll give birth to our son. We'll see if fate really has it for us on these dates. I'm really thinking Sept 5/6 as it is our anniversary for the 2nd time we got engaged...as we were married on the first time we got engaged. J

Currently we’re rushing to get her daughter here before the 1 year anniversary from her Visa issuance date. Hopefully we can do it. It probably will and the daughter will probably get here around the same day Noni got in the US, as these days keep having something significant happening on them.

Anyways, long story, but just glad it’s all done for Noni’s part…just need to get her daughter here now, and I can relax awhile with all the immigration issues.

Good luck to all you who are going through this process.

[cristina16 81]

Omg! Your love story was exhausting! But yeah i agree, if it's meant to be - it will happen. Must be really love?

[duckhunter1 18]

It's easier just getting a dog. LOL