I'll begin with the exciting and important bit first and play fill-in later. This journal originally set out as a search. I wanted to record my past relationships and discuss my then-present quest. As it evolved (and I grew), it became less of a search and more of a chronicle of myself and my friends. Eventually, I fully dropped the 'romantic' from the title (though I still maintain its optimistic meaning over its lovey overtones) and mostly from the content.

Five years ago, I ended a somewhat lengthy relationship. A year after that, I had a brief couple of weeks that essentially amounted to a fling. I continued with hope for a couple of years after, but progressively became disillusioned by the process. I found it easier to get caught up with friends, school, and work. I accepted being single and actually enjoyed the freedom that it allowed. As this state of distraction continued, many of my closest friends started moving away. I still met new people occasionally, but I wasn’t making much effort to meet them. As I began to realize this, I decided to renew a couple of outlets. One of those outlets was eharmony. Some people don't put much stock in it. Others probably put too much. I'd made one friend through it years ago, but after that, it was filled with a number of communications that started positively and then ultimately cut off.

Several entries ago, I mentioned one such incident. Faye and I began e-mailing last spring. I was struck by her forwardness. Initially, it intimidated me, but I caught glimpses of the godly, intelligent, and ambitious girl underneath. As we bounced letters back and forth and a number of phone calls, I began to progressively look forward to meeting her. Then, as I noted before, it ended rather abruptly. She went another direction. While she was apologetic about the situation and cordial in saying hello every few months, I basically wrote anything off. When fall came, she was going through a rough patch, and I spoke to her on the phone. Still, I had no interest. She was involved with someone, and it wasn't going well. A spiteful bit of me thought, "Nice choice." That was a small part though. Mostly, I did care for her as friend and advised her as such.

After a month or two went by, we talked again. She was still holding onto the relationship – part of the loyalty in her that I admire. Again, I advised her to seek out her closest friends. Still, I had no interest. Finally, she mustered the courage to break it off. About a month later, we began to talk pretty frequently via text. We talked often enough that her friend asked her when I’d be taking her to dinner. I brushed this off: "I planned to last spring. I suppose the next time I'm in Florida or you’re in the Atlanta area." Still, I wasn’t putting much stock there. However, as the days went by, I became increasingly enamored with the beauty I saw in her. Those qualities that I wasn't ready for before became attractive.

On February 22nd, I picked Faye up at the Atlanta airport. After our long phone talks the previous week, I was quite looking forward to it. I was immediately struck by her. She was cuter than her pictures. The shade of blue in her eyes mesmerized me. She was a taller 5'2" than I'd pictured. Despite some nervousness, I helped her with her bags and we braved the cold winds on the way to the car. I don't recall any lulls in conversation on the ride to Chattanooga. We stopped for lunch at Ruby Tuesday's, and I made a point to keep good eye contact. That afternoon, we met a longtime friend of hers and drove around the city for a bit. Eventually, we tracked down a copy of "Captain Ron" (famous in Faye's industry of yachting) and headed up to my mom’s on Lookout. We ate homemade pizza with my mom and Jon. Faye was very outgoing and engaging. In fact, she endeared herself to my mom. My mom would comment later that I "better grab her up" and that I "didn’t deserve her". Initially, that latter comment sounds like a slam on me, but I know how greatly my mom admires me, so it speaks volumes of Faye. As the movie came to a close, she had curled up in my arms. This was a situation made unfamiliar to me by the passage of time, so I was somewhat stunned by how comfortable I felt.

The next day, my mom made breakfast for us. Afterwards, we went on a walk through our woods. I hadn't walked the trails in quite a while, and they were quite overgrown. I admired that Faye braved the cold and overgrowth to experience that. That afternoon, we watched another movie, and that night we went bowling with some friends. From there, our group tried a couple of clubs, but they weren't comfortable, so we headed home.

The following morning, we went to church with my mom. I've been bragging about this, but Faye's probably one of the most spiritually mature girls I've met. The efforts with which she seeks God inspire me. That's not to say that my faith rests in her - I've been getting involved back with church and a small group for a few months. However, she does make me want to be the godly man that she deserves. After church, we went to lunch before I drove her back to Atlanta.

The next week, we texted the following exchange: "So do you take many girls home to meet your mom?" "The last time my mom met my girlfriend was '94." "Wow. So am I your girlfriend?" "Would you like to be?" "Yes." (I am the antithesis of cool.)