Tom's Tale

For those of you who may not know who I am, here is a little about me!

It was a cold December night... OK that may be too much. I was born and grew up in Seattle. I left Seattle go to study Musical Theatre at BYU in Provo, Utah. I took a short break from my college education to get a broader learning as a missionary in Spain. I lived for two years in the northern part of Spain (Bilbao, Pamplona, El Ferrol in Galicia, and other places) and loved the opportunity to learn from their deep culture and share my beliefs.

When I came back I was determined to finish my college degree. I found it funny, though, that I didn't take any theatre jobs over the summer, but instead came home to Seattle to work and save money.

Enter Alicia.

It was through a couple mutual friends that we ended up meeting and initially getting to know each other. As Alicia mentioned, one of our first outings was to see the movie Chicken Run. I still remember how much fun we all had that evening, even if I was clueless to Alicia's affections. My other recollection of "Chapter One" was our trip to the University of Washington Medical Center to see the art. What a creative and fun date! The experience stuck with me.

That summer came to an end and I needed to shop for clothes for the coming school year. I was done dressing like a recently returned missionary! I needed clothing that was stylish and made me look good! I needed a beautiful girl to help me pick them out, but she had to be one that I trusted. Yeah, you can see where this is going. I asked Alicia to come shopping with me. Not only did I have a lot of fun, but she helped me pick out some of my most favorite clothes. My roommate kept wanting to borrow the jacket that she helped me purchase. I was ready to hit BYU dressed to kill!

I could talk about all the years living in the Single Mormon Mecca and how I just didn't find "the one" but that would be redundant and boring. Needless to say, I did finish my college degree - a BFA in Music Dance Theatre! What next...? Things didn't work out the way that I thought they would. Even with going to New York City and performing in several shows across the world (thanks Young Ambassadors!) I just couldn't find the missing part of my life. Theatre just didn't fill me in the way that I thought it should.

I found myself in Provo again (I know, I know! What was I thinking?!) and things were not what I wanted them to be. I came home for Thanksgiving and was reminded just how much I love it here in Seattle. A few months later I decided to move back to Seattle for a new start. After selling a house in Utah that I had to fix up, I came back to my home town!

I came back to Seattle not knowing too many people, but found out that Alicia was in the church congregation that I would be attending. It would be nice to see a familiar face, but I wondered if it would be awkward at all. We had not talked in quite some time and I didn't know who she was anymore nor did she know me after all that I had been through. It would be a fresh start, as it were.

Alicia was the bold one, initially. She was turning 30 (something that I was dreading) and she was having so much fun doing it! She invited me to her party but I had had a long day at work and just declined. I didn't want to just leave it at that. I suggested that we do something else to celebrate her new found joy of thirty-dom. She suggested a hike.

Chapter Two

I think back on that hike and I realize just how important it was. Again, I was feeling a bit shy and non-committal but something inside me said, "Tom, what are you doing? Go and have fun! What are you going to lose?" So I finally got it! I went on the hike and we had so much fun! I really got to know Alicia on that hike and I think we both realized that the chemistry that had always been there was still there, but there was more. We both had matured and grown and experienced life and it just made us that much better. I changed that day. I knew that what I had always been seeking was within reach. I realized that I've never had more fun with anyone than what I had with Alicia. The best part is that I continue to have that feeling daily!

The rest is, as they say, history!

What does chapter three hold...?