Many people I meet ask me why I came to America, so I tell them "Oh, my wife is American". The next obvious question is "well how did you meet her?" and this is how the story goes...

Jennell was on a study abroad in Wales with BYU (Brigham Young University in Utah). We met after my friend (Sam Gould), who was the Young Single Adult Coordinator for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the time, heard about a group of girls over for the summer from Utah. He invited me and a friend (Mark) to go with him to hangout with them and get to know them.

Jennell and I had an awkward start. We met once at a dance where I completely ignored her when she came over to talk to me and then again when we met at the beach. That time I was too interested in getting to know one of the other girls on the trip. The third time we met was a lot better. It was at a pool party that Sam had thrown in honor of the girls.

Jennell and I spent the whole time with each other, playing in the pool, hanging out in the hot tub and jumping on the trampoline. It was a blast. After the party we hardly left each others side.

Once the study abroad program ended Jennell chose to stay in Wales for a few more days and she was free to date, which we did a lot of over those few days.

When she finally flew back to Utah I decided I was going to travel and found an agency that would allow me to work in the U.S. for a year. I joined and soon after flew out to Utah to visit Jennell. While I was on my trip I was offered a job in New York, which I took and 3weeks later I was back on a plane to start work.

While I was in New York Jennell and I decided to keep our relationship going over long distance. I would save my money and fly out to see her every 5 or 6 weeks to spend the weekend with her. That Christmas I was able to spend with Jennell and her family and that is when I decided to propose. She eventually said YES after leaving me down on one knee for a very long time and we were married in the following July, exactly 1 year after we first met and have now been married for almost 2 and a half years.

The next question I get a lot is "So you didn't meet on the internet then?"

No..No we did not!!

Andrew Out.