This is my big, cross-country love story: I drove 2,651 miles while not really looking…I mean, for love. I graduated from college in December, moved back in with my folks, and later lined up a summer job in Colorado. The job started in June, but I was ready to go, so I left a month early to drive cross-country to visit a friend in Oregon. I packed my Honda full and said a teary goodbye to my parents. I was off. After a depressing one-night stint at a motel in Kansas City, KS, then a couple days with friends in Denver, I set off for Oregon. I made it there on fumes. I met my husband one of the first nights I was in Portland. His roommate was dating my friend and they had invited us over. We hit it off from the start with really great conversation. I spent nearly the whole month with him. We trekked all around Portland, drank really great coffee and beer, went camping and saw a great music show. Before I knew it, I had to leave for Colorado. It was really sad to leave him, sort of surprisingly, as we had only known each other for a month. You know what this extra special guy did, though? He courted me through letters all summer long! When that summer drew to a close, I had a decision to make. I decided to drive back to Portland to see about a boy. Six years later we’re happily married and expecting our first! Paige Travis, Chapel Hill
