36. All caught up!

I started thinking October was too far away. I couldn't wait seven months to see him. I'd go crazy.
Luckily, he was having the same feelings.
"Maybe I could take a short trip out there this summer and then come back for a longer trip in October," he suggested one day while we were chatting online. I read it and reread it to make sure I hadn't read it wrong. But sure enough, he wanted to come visit me, and summer was just around the corner.
I called Mom.
"Guess what?? Cayden wants to come visit this summer!"
"I thought he was coming in October?"
"What can I say? He just can't resist."
"Well, that's kind of silly for him to fly out here twice. Why don't you go to London?"
Had I always wanted to go to London? Sure. Ever since I watched What A Girl Wants and fell in love with Oliver James and his adorable accent. I even thought about studying abroad when I was in college just so I could be surrounded by those accents. I still wish I had done that. Maybe I would have met Cayden sooner.
"Well, because I don't have an extra $800 laying around for a plane ticket," I explained.
And yes, I had already looked up flights, and they were all around that price.
"Use dad's flyer miles, he has more than enough to get you to London for free."
Why hadn't I thought about that? My dad travels from Texas to California to New York to China for work, so he had thousands of flyer miles racked up.
"Would he really let me use them? Wouldn't that be a TON of miles? Isn't he saving them for a family trip or something?"
"He has enough, don't worry. Why don't you talk to Cayden and see when a good time would be, and then we'll book it."
Holy crap. This was actually going to happen.
I wanted to call Cayden right away, but it was the middle of the night where he was. I was so excited that night, I hardly slept.
The next morning, I woke up to an email from him saying he woke up in the best mood and was having a great day at work. I replied with the good news. I wanted to call him, but I had to get ready for work, and when we talk on the phone I never seem to want to hang up.
"Wow! My day just gets better and better!"
Cayden is a plans-guy. He always wants to make plans and map out every move of his life. So I wasn't surprised when another email said:

"I can show you all of London! And we get to experience what it'd be like to be with each other. Knowing how we connected in NYC and the way we seem to understand each other, I think it'd be pretty amazing. (That's kind of what I'm hanging on to at the moment, the fact that I just adore your personality). After that, say we decide to give things a go, I'd change my trip plans with Drew in October and visit you instead and probably come over again at Christmas. If things are still going well with us, I'd make the effort to visit every 8 weeks or so next year. On my trips I can try to line up some interviews and kind of combine it with seeing you and getting a job, too. 8 weeks or so between seeing each other wouldn't be as bad to deal with, knowing that I might stand a chance at getting over there with my MBA, so it's just this year would be a bit more difficult.
So say things work out with us after giving it a go and I land a consulting job over there, I know I'd be happy in my job as it's what I want to do, I'd be happy that I'm in the states, and I'd be happy that I'm with you."

I call it Cayden's Master Plan to Happiness.
I don't do plans, but there were a number of things I loved about this one. First and foremost, that he'd come spend Christmas with my family. I'm a family girl to the core, and there's nothing I love more than spending holidays with the people I love. Spending Christmas with Cayden would fit quite nicely in my not-so-Master plan of perfection. The other thing that stood out in his email was the fact that he said he'd come see me every eight weeks. EVERY EIGHT WEEKS!

We compared schedules, and then my dad booked my tickets to London for June 8-14.
This was really going to happen.

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Brady and I were still messing around now and then, and Cayden knew it (See? I told you I could talk to Cayden about anything.) It bothered him, but he said he couldn't ask me not to until we saw each other again and knew what was going to happen with us.
The thought of Cayden with another girl made me sick to my stomach, so I really wanted to ask him not to see anyone, but knew I couldn't. But he wasn't interested in meeting anyone else, lucky for me.
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As the date grew closer, he was all I could think about, all I could talk about, all I could write about. Enter: Fairytale Beginning. I had written that first post "Once Upon A Time," the night I met him. I don't know what compelled me to write it all down, but I just had to. I sent it to Cayden once, a while ago, and he loved it. He said, "Even though I know what happens, it makes me want to keep reading!" So I kept writing. Then last month I decided to create this blog as a way of documenting our story. I had no idea so many other people would be interested in reading it, but I've received the most encouraging emails and messages from friends, family, coworkers, and even complete strangers. I can't say thank you enough! Writing this blog has been therapeutic as well. I leave in two days and I'm not freaking out yet. Tomorrow might be another story.

The hardest part about starting this blog was picking a title. A few years ago I interviewed a musician named Brooks Chambers and wrote a story about him for an alternative newsweekly to promote his upcoming show. He sent me his CD, and I was at my desk at work listening to it when the strangest thing happened. One of the songs started and I closed my eyes. I pictured myself slow dancing, held tightly against a man as I rested my head on his shoulder. I never looked up, so I don't know what he looked like. But he was tall, and he could dance. (Which is convenient, because I can't.) I pictured us spinning and dancing while the music played. To say that the song brought tears to my eyes is an understatement. I got lost in the song, and I had goosebumps over every inch of me. The only word I could think of to describe the song was "Beautiful." The song is called Fairytale Ending. Close your eyes and listen to it:
http://www.myspace.com/brookschambers

My favorite lines:
"When you're talking long distance, it's hard to believe that such a short distance could mean a thing."
and
"This fairytale ending is just the beginning, and tomorrow will be just the same."

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Now that you're all caught up, I'm sure I left a lot of unanswered questions. So this is your chance to ask away! Ask me anything, and tomorrow I'll post all the answers. Have questions for Cayden or Brady? I'm sure they won't mind answering them!
Along with your question, send me your first name and city/state, and I'll post it along with your question and my answer. (If you'd rather remain anonymous, that's totally fine!)
Send questions to me at fairytalebeginning73@gmail.com.
Can't wait to hear from yall!