Brian and I met in New York City in April 2006. Brian moved to New York from California in August 2005 with hopes to pursue a career in acting and music. I came to New York in February 2005 to study Acting at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Brian was introduced by one of his roommates, Frankie, to a comedy group called “Lunchbox Voodoo” and they asked him to appear as a special musical guest at one of their shows in April 2006. I was in the audience that night and after the show we met and spoke to one another for the first time. Over the next few months we got more familiar with each other through gatherings with our mutual friends. One night, in October 2006, Brian decided to email me personally and then proceeded to invite me to come to the restaurant he worked at called Café Centro where he bought me dinner. The following month Brian asked me to come ice skating with him and some friends at the Bryant Park skating rink in New York. That night he invited me to his church, Morning Star New York, and from that point on we began a deeper friendship, spending much more time with one another and attending church together every Sunday. After many more conversations and emails, Brian let me know of my growing feelings towards me. At this time I was due to go back to England to spend Christmas with my family and so we remained good friends. During that time I was in England, we continued to exchange emails and our feelings towards each other grew. When I returned to New York, we saw each other in a new light and it was obvious that our relationship had changed, so we started to date each other in January 2007.
In October 2007, I returned home to England as my student F1 visa and OPT had expired. Brian came back with me for the first week and was able to meet my parents and family. Brian visited again in December, when he came to England to spend Christmas and New Year with me and my family. On Christmas Eve he proposed to me at a local restaurant near my home called ‘The Globe’ and of course I said ‘yes'!
We have come a long way since the proposal and are now happily married and living in Queens, NY. I just received my AOS approval and am on the conditional green card. It feels like all the hard work and anxt has paid off :-))
