How We Met

How perfect that Kelly is featuring how to you met your husband for today’s “Show Us Your Life,” and my anniversary is next week. I decided to join in the fun.

Josh and I met in the fall of 1999, my sophomore year at UF, on a road trip to the LSU football game. One of my sorority sisters invited me to ride with her family in their RV. It was so much fun! Josh had known her from high school and they were good friends and eventually ended up dating all through college. I always though of Josh as a friend, and volunteered on the same team as him for UF’s Dance Marathon.

After graduation, we lost track of each other (these were the days before Facebook). I went on to grad school and he moved to Chicago for his first job.

In the fall of 2006, I was in Gainesville for the Alabama game. 

Here's me getting ready - I spilled a glass of water on my dress.

After the game, Josh and I  ran into each other at The Swamp, my favorite hangout. I was super excited to see him again. As we talked I found out that we were both living in Tampa and he was finishing up his MBA at UF. Being the super Gator that I am, I told him I should get his number, so I could invite him to events I planned with the Tampa Gator Club. He said “No, I’m the guy, I should be getting your number.” Well, something just clicked. I had never thought of Josh as anything other than a friend, and I was even dating someone else at the time. We traded numbers, and I went off with my friends to continue our night of debauchery.

Two weeks later I was in Auburn with a bunch of my girlfriends for the UF Auburn game. My brother had even driven over from Mississippi to join in the tailgating fun.

We had a great time at the game, and even though we lost, my friends and I stayed until the very end. As we were walking back to the tailgate, I heard my name being called outside of the stadium. Low and behold, it was Josh and some of his friends. I invited them back to our tailgate, and later in the night we went back to the RV lot where he was staying. He made us some awesome wings, and loaned Julie and me some warm clothes because it had gotten a little to chilly for us.

The following weekend was our bi-week. I had traveled up to Baltimore for one of my best friend’s weddings. As I was picking up my baggage Sunday night at the Tampa airport, I got a phone call. It was Josh, he wanted to know what my plans were for the FL GA game. We made arrangements to try and meet up, so I could return his warm clothes to him.

It was a rainy Friday night in Jacksonville, but Josh made the journey out to San Marco where all my friends and I were hanging out.

He came back with us to Julie’s parent’s house to enjoy some chili that Julie’s mom had made for all of us. We called it a night and I figured we would tailgate at some point the next day.

Well, we weren’t able to meet up before the game, but I wanted to stop by afterwards. I didn’t know exactly where he was tailgating, and with the obstacle of climbing a fence facing us, my friends headed to the landing, and I continued on. Josh and I hung out all night, and by the time we realized it, the wee hours of the morning had approached. The chances of me catching a cab were slim, so we slept in the back of his Exterra. Now, nothing, I repeat nothing happened, but the windows were completely steamed up in the morning (from the car’s heater) when we woke up to a tapping on the window. I was sooo embarrassed. The drive back to Tampa, I had butterflies in my stomach.

The following weekend we met up to watch the Gators play Vandy at the Tampa Gator Club’s game viewing party. We ended up sticking around to watch the next game and the next game. It was kind of late when Josh asked me if I wanted to get ice cream. Now I am not one to turn down ice cream, so during half time of the Georgia Tech game, we slipped away from our table and headed to Cold Stone. Our first date, and a tradition we continue when we watch games with the DC Gator Club.

South Carolina we tailgated with friends, and the following weekend was his MBA graduation.

We fell in love, and continue to go to as many gator games as our schedule allows. Ours was a marriage brought together by University of Florida Football.  Go Gators!