on being married one year

In honor of our first anniversary, a list of our relationship firsts:

First sighting: the SUB down under. We were introduced by a mutual friend (Jon Courtney) and then we kept running into each other at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

First conversation location: the world wide web (yes, we got to know each other first through AIM and the use of emoticons….so awesome)

First known mutual interests (besides our obvious love of Mexican food): Iowa Hawkeye sports, God, and music

First date: La Pachanga, then to see Lewis Black. Brad wanted to hang out afterwards, however, I misunderstood his question of "Where do we go from here?" to be of a directional nature -- so I told him to turn left. I later realized he had really asked to continue our date, but I was too embarrassed to say anything. Brad took this as a complete rejection...until I called him later that weekend.

My first impression of Brad: mature, kind eyes, confident, and extremely nice hair
(seriously, brad has the hair of a greek god)

The first time we said “I love you”: We went to Wal-Mart to buy IBC cream soda and soft batch cookies and went to sit on adjacent lawn chairs in the furniture/garden section. We stayed there, munching on our newly purchased treats and listening to ACDC’s “T.N.T” over the loud speaker, until the manager told us we had to leave. Upon pulling into my driveway, we realized after a night like that, how could we NOT fall in love with each other?

First “home”: Living in the dorms with 38 Taiwanese girls, serving as co-directors for the Taiwan at Truman program.

First hug: Before Brad went on the CCF spring break trip. We had only been dating about a week, so we really didn’t know how to say goodbye to each other. (I know most couples don’t remember their first hug, but this one was so awkward that it will be forever ingrained in my memory)

First string of facebook messages before things were "official" (with some in-between-the-lines commentary/interpretation):

Rachel See wrote at 8:09pm on February 3rd, 2006
i was MUY impressed with your guitar skills...actually more like guitar skillz. your playing + the bueno food of la pachanga = the best friday in a long time!!

I had seriously written this the moment I got home after eating. Brad told me later that he was prepared to write me a message and was surprised that I had already beaten him to the punch!

Brad Smith wrote at 8:29pm on February 3rd, 2006

Hey Rachel- it constantly amazes me that every time I go to La Pachanga you are there. And as much as that sounds like an exageration, it's really not! To be honest with you, earlier today I actually thought to myself "I bet I'll see Rachel See tonight" Crazy huh? I'm glad you enjoyed the music- and thanks for the tip- I really wish that I knew you a little better, but if we keep meeting at La Pachanga then maybe that will happen! Until then... I had arrived at Pachanga while Brad was playing, but because of the large crowds and the fact that brad had a harmonica up to his mouth, we were unable to make any kind of conversation (except a head nod from Brad when I dropped some money in his basket)

Rachel See wrote at 3:09pm on February 4th, 2006

haha, i know. la pachanga is like a sick addiction. i just cant get enough! mas, mas, i say. ;)anyway, i think it's pretty fantastic that we have this pachanga relationship -- if you ever need a violin for any of your songs, let me know!

Brad Smith wrote at 12:28am on February 18th, 2006

Hey- went to La Pachanga on Tuesday and was dissapointed not to see you there...it was late-ish though, so I guess it'll be alright! Anyway- I'm part of a group on campus here called Students Advocating Justice (I'd love to tell you more about it sometime) and we're going to show a video on Thursday night (2-23) in MG1000 at 8:00 and I really think you would enjoy it. It's called "Advertising and the End of the World" I could tell you more about it if you wanted me to, but you should really consider showing up! It's really well done and I think you'd like it. Let me know what you're thinking!

Brad told me that he had just invited me to this as an "in" to seeing me again. I found this out after I suggested renting it (a while after we had started dating, because I was unable to see it the first time) and he explained that he was not that interested in seeing it with me -- just desperate to invite me somewhere. too funny.

Rachel See wrote at 12:52am on February 18th, 2006

i was definitely there at 5 on tuesday. it just wasnt the same w/o seeing you! i think my current project is la pach patch. we'll see how it goes ;). Im interested in the movie...i have sign language until 9, though. how late do you think it will go?

Rachel See wrote at 9:29pm on March 1st, 2006

Good luck with your game tonight -- i would give you pointers, but my skills are limited to a womens ball...;)postscript: looks like our beloved hawks won tonight, thus strengthening the case against us...

This is right after our first date. Brad thought I wasn't into him (I tend to be a bit reserved at first), but after a phone call and another message, I was bound to show him that I was indeed interested :).

Brad Smith wrote at 1:27am on March 2nd, 2006

What a wonderful day! The weather was perfect, worship is over, I got assigned to co-lead a small group on Spring Break w/ one of my favorite people on the planet (the one and only Lauren Hamilton), my basketball team won (and played an amazing game...that you missed!), the hawks dominated (although the strengthened fact that they hate playing when I'm watching is a bit depressing), and to finish it all off: I got a message on my facebook from the most popular addict on the site! I swear Miss See- it doesn't get much better than that! ...but then again, taking that addict to a movie doesn't sound too bad either!

Brad, the smooooth talker!

Rachel See wrote at 1:33pm on March 2nd, 2006

ok, so facebook may be the 7th most popular site, but no amount of cyber-famedome can compare to the mass circulation of an actual, tangible, newspaper. are we going to have to invest in some bodyguards tonight to fend off those vying for your autograph? i must say, it's going to be an honor just to be seen with you.

First picture together: Brad at the far left, me at the far right and halfway hidden