Leaving On A Jet Plane... With My Future Husband?

Airplanes. It’s where the action goes down. I am NOT kidding, folks. I am at the airport on my way to visit my sister in Oregon. I’m flying Southwest, which is indisputably the BEST airline for meeting cute guys. Why? Because you get to pick your seat! That’s right – you scout out the cute guys while you’re in line and then you sit next to them when you board the plane. Freakin’ genius! Oh, and in case you were wondering or had any doubt: yes, I look quite pretty.

I have two legs of the flight – DC to Chicago and then Chicago to Portland. There is a handsome guy who keeps checking me out but he boards long before I do. Let’s call him man number 1. The man in line behind me strikes up a conversation and come to find out he’s from OHIO (like me) and he’s in town interviewing to be a resident at Georgetown hospital. A doctor? Yes, please! We sit near the back of the plane across the aisle from one another and talk the entire flight to Chicago. Man number 1 is actually only a few rows in front of me and I catch him looking back at us – sadly – a few times.

Doctor man gets my business card and he exits the plane in Chicago along with 95% of the passengers. Guess who’s left and also continuing on to Portland? That’s right – handsome man number 1! He finagles it so that we both move up to the front of the plane and sits next to me. He seems unfazed by the fact I just hit it off with doctor man on the previous flight.

His name is Adam. He’s flying to Portland to be with his brother and his dad so that they can put the family dog down. It’s so sweet and endearing that it strikes a sympathetic chord with me. I am unabashedly a dog-lover. ::swoon:: Adam buys me a drink (I told you – airplanes are the NEW bars!) and the flight attendants look at us knowingly. Yep, they’ve seen this before. We literally talk for 5 hours straight. The conversation is easy... not forced at all.

Before we even get off the plane he has already asked for my information and even suggests that we meet up in Portland. Once we land, we are making our way to baggage claim when an older gentleman approaches us.

I don’t think I’ve ever blushed so much in my entire life. Adam is thoroughly amused and after the man tells him we should get to know each other better he replies “yeah, that’s the plan” with a smirk on his face. I even tell the guy about our age difference (I’m 29, Adam is 25) and he has an answer for everything. “That’s perfect, men die sooner anyway.” Well, alright then. There you have it. Maybe I will be sending this crazy man a wedding invite someday. You never know - crazier shit has happened.

I Haven't Been There for the Longest Time

Airplanes. They are the new bars. Think about it – it’s the perfect scenario… you’re trapped for hours in a confined space with strangers. Sound like a claustrophobic nightmare? Not for me! I’m at the airport waiting for my flight to Colorado for my best friend’s 30^th birthday extravaganza. I’m pleasantly surprised by how many good looking, strapping men are in the waiting area for the Denver flight. Feeling pleased that I had actually put on a little makeup and done my hair, I mosey over to a particularly handsome fella and plop myself down next to him.

He’s eating a sub and I ask him mid-bite if this is the flight to Denver. He nods yes and that’s all it takes, folks. We are chatting the rest of the time and the poor guy never even gets to finish his sub. He’s definitely a military guy – shaved head, muscles and polite as can be. We board the plane and funny how the universe helps you out once in a while. My seat is literally one row in front of his. No one sits next to him and he motions for me to join him. I ask the flight attendant if it’s okay to switch seats and she gives me a knowing smirk.

Kevin and I talk the entire time on the 3.5 hour flight to Denver. Life, love and everything in between. He’s got brains AND brawn AND looks like a cross between Viggo Mortensen and Robert Sean Leonard. It’s okay, go ahead - look those two people up on the interwebs to see what I’m talking about. Hot.

I meet up with Lola, her sister and 3 friends at the hotel and tell them about the handsome man I met. We are leaving Denver in the morning, though, and he lives in Colorado Springs anyway. Bummer. Oh well, c’est la vie! We head to Glenwood Springs and spend the next few days exploring the wild west – hiking, eating, drinking and a little dancing. Colorado is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. Epic scenery.

On our last night we head back to Denver and have plans to go to a karaoke bar after a sushi feast. Kevin and I have been texting back and forth and he and his friend Brody are driving up from Colorado Springs to hang out with us. I’m both excited and nervous to see him again.

I may have failed to mention that Lola and all of her friends are professional singers. Like for real. I am a mediocre singer at best but I can hold my own at karaoke. Kevin and Brody are not enthused about singing and I give both of them a hard time because hey, it’s a karaoke bar. Man up!

Tee hee. He makes me get up and sing with him which I acknowledge is only fair. It is nauseatingly cute especially when he puts his arm around me while we are singing lyrics like “I took my chances, I forgot how nice romance is… I haven’t been there for the longest time.” Swoon.

Lola brings the house down with her rendition of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and we are among the last patrons to leave the bar at 2 am. What happens next is surreal and it feels like we’re in high school again. We don’t have anywhere to go but we don’t want to go home. So we stand outside and just laugh for hours and hours. Pretty sure we covered all of the bases and have made fun of every race, religion, political affiliation and stereotypes imaginable. Including leprechauns. We are out there until 4:30 am. Not kidding. No one wants this night to end so we end up going to Denny’s.

It’s now almost 6 am and most of us have early morning flights to catch and both Kevin and Brody have shifts at 8 am for their military jobs. Kevin and I say goodbye with a long hug and I can’t help but feel disappointed that I didn't get my make out. I have no clue if I will ever see this man again but he has reminded me of a valuable lesson that my grandmother taught me a long time ago: always look cute when going to the airport. You never know who’s going to be on your flight!