How I Met My Hunny

This seems like a fun linky party to join - even if Valentine's Day has passed.  Great idea Ms. B.!

My husband and I met in 2004 while I was studying abroad in Buenos Aires,Argentina.  We met soon after I arrived in the country.  I went to Argentina thinking I was a bilingual superstar, and quickly realized my Spanish listening and speaking abilities were akin to a toddler!  Reality can be rough.

So, realizing I wasn't able to communicate effectively, I sought solace in familiar English movies.  I found a local video rental store - and struggled to communicate that I would like to become a member...I gestured and stumbled through this process and left empty handed.  The owner explained something about delivering a movie - which I assumed I was misunderstanding, because since when is there movie delivery?!

So I went back to the apartment and tried to explain what had happened to my host "mom" a lovely lady about 80 years old at the time.  She hadn't heard of movie delivery either...so we sat waiting to see what would happen.

Eventually the bell to the apartment did ring, and I ventured downstairs.  Outside waiting was a very handsome young man waiting with my movie in hand.  I accepted the movie and thanked him, went back into the building and realized I had not given him a tip!  Having never dealt with movie delivery I was unprepared and so embarrassed that I hadn't given him a tip.  I looked back over my shoulder to see his reaction, and he was still looking at me, but I didn't see any resentment in his eyes...sigh.

I didn't do a very good job making a good first impression.  We didn't run into each other for several months.  During which I dated another Argie - which ended badly.  I sought solace again in movies - and that is how we were reunited.

My husband Ariel would always be playing movies in the shop while he worked - movies like What About Bob?.  He has great taste, right?!  So we began shyly talking and eventually he timidly invited me to helado (ice cream), and how could I resist?

Here is a picture of us on one of our first dates - ice skating, although in the pic we are drinking submarinos a super delicious Argie version of hot chocolate.  We look so young!!!!

OK, and I couldn't resist putting this pic of him on the same date - because he was sooooo cute!

I had one more semester left at my university and as soon as I graduated I promptly moved back to Argentina.  After many bumps in the road we were married in 2007!  During the time we lived in Argentina, somehow he put up with my compulsive need to rescue animals - one dog even had 9 puppies!  I don't know how he puts up with all my quirks, but I'm lucky to have him!

We lived in Argentina until 2009 and then moved back to the States.  Ariel had to leave his 4 siblings, Mom, and Buenos Aires to come to the suburbs of Chicago.  Honestly, how many men would do that?  Now Ariel is working and taking classes at the local community college, and improving his English.  At home we speak a terrible mixture of English and Spanish - I really hope we can get it together before we have kids. At this point we just have two amazing cats, Max and Ellie.


So there you have it - how I met my hunny.  I tried to keep it succinct, but it turned out rather long.  If you've made it this far, thanks for reading!  (And yes, Max has one eye - but he doesn't know it!)  Oh!  I promise my Spanish has since improved, although I have my toddler-like moments!  ;)

To our hunnies!
Mrs. Castro