The study abroad program in which I enrolled in 2002

accepted students from all over the United States.

All the new arrivals to Sevilla congregated at the Hotel Al-Andaluz for the orientation.  I remember the first time I saw her.  It was at breakfast for foreign exchange students in the hotel lobby.  She walked in with her now bridesmaid, Kathleen, and was wearing a black velour jump suit and silver hoop earrings.  I turned to my now groomsman Thomas and said “who is that???”.  Little did I know that she and I would become friends and much more during our stay in Sevilla, Spain.

Although I can’t pinpoint when I formally met Letizia, I know that a Spanish guide named Ana was instrumental in connecting us.  Ana invited some of us “guiris” (Spain’s version of gringos) to her house for drinks before heading out for a night on the town.   It was here that I was able to chat with Letizia for the first time.  I thought she was gorgeous and completely out of my league.  That night we went to a club that would become our favorite place to frequent, Catedral.  It was at Catedral that our group of friends, now known as the Spain crew, forged the foundation for lifelong friendships in an environment of pure elation.  Thomas, Jerry, Alison, Ana, Mai, David, and Letizia all danced the night away every Wednesday night, intermingling with the Sevillanos and literally shutting the club down around dawn.

Week after week, I watched Letizia become more comfortable in this foreign city.  As she became more comfortable, her dancing reflected her formal training more and more.  I was winging it at best while she moved with grace, precision, and beauty as she danced.  I was COMPLETELY convinced that she was way out of my league.  I didn’t stand a chance.

As the weeks went on, Ana would have us over for movie nights, dinner, and drinks.  Getting to know Letizia made it very difficult not to like her.  I never really admitted to myself that I had a thing for her until we traveled to the city of Granada on a trip planned by our exchange program.  In Granada, we toured the beautiful palace, meandered through the narrow streets, and explored the nightlife.  Upon returning to our hotel, Letizia and I stayed out in the hallway and chatted on a bench.  Like a school girl, Letizia told me that she knew someone who liked me.  I was intrigued.  After a while, she admitted it was her.  I was in complete shock.  She wasn’t out of my league!  In fact she was very much IN my league… So much so that she felt she must inform me of how she felt about me.  SHOCKED!!!!!

On the bus ride back to Sevilla the next day she sat in the seat in front of me.  She draped her arm over the back of the seat.  I touched her hand.  I ran my fingers over hers.  I remember the goose bumps, the nerves, the intensity of the first contact.  That’s how it all started….

Soon after that trip to Granada, Ana invited us over for a movie night.  We shared a blanket and held hands under it, attempting to hide our feelings from the group.  That night I walked her home and we stayed up until the sunrise talking outside of her Senora’s apartment until we couldn’t resist anymore.  We kissed for the first time that night as the dawn crept upon us.

Only a few hours later we boarded a bus for another program excursion to the Spanish countryside.  Needless to say we were physically exhausted, but we were running on the adrenaline of the recent developments in our relationship.  We arrived at a Medieval Spanish Castle.  I couldn’t fully appreciate its beauty because I was blinded by my feelings for Letizia.  I followed her around pulling her into dark corners to sneak kisses.  We spent the whole day together, marveling at Moorish architecture, analyzing details in Spanish décor, and holding hands and sneaking kisses whenever no one was looking as we toured different towns.

After that, nights at Catedral were quite different.  The first time back to the club after confessing my feelings for her, I pulled her towards me as we entered the door.  The rest the Spain crew was walking ahead of us.  Alison turned to tell Letizia something and her jaw dropped as she saw us kissing.  The secret was out and I didn’t care. In fact the Spain crew celebrated our new found feelings.  Letizia and I danced together each week until the sun came up.  I was getting better with my moves, by the way!  Afterwards we walked the streets hand in hand and occasionally bought churros from the street vendor next to la Puente de Triana each Thursday morning as the night slipped into day.

We began to study, get coffee, eat dinner, and laugh together.  We explored Sevilla together, absorbing the culture and people, shopping, and enjoying the delicious cuisine of Southern Spain.  We loved that city.  Every time that we met up, we didn’t want to leave each other.  Her company was so natural and warm.  She made me comfortable.  I was completely myself around her.  She and I became inseparable. I had never experienced a love like that and never would again.  We were so good together, so good FOR each other, and so good TO each other.  I would have done anything for her.  Anything but tell her that I loved her.  Somehow I never admitted to her that I had fallen for her in the two short months that passed as we grew closer.

We returned to the US shortly before Christmas.  We talked occasionally over the phone after we returned, but we were forced to move on with our lives as I was in North Carolina finishing my senior year and she was doing the same in New York.  The last time we spoke was in 2003.

Eight years later…

I was bored one night and decided to investigate Twitter.  I opened an account and explored it a little bit.  I wasn’t too impressed; still prefer Facebook.  To my amazement, my first follower was Letizia.  I got her email and wrote to her.  I wrote everything that I held back when I had her. I admitted that what we had was real.  I told her that I fell harder and faster for her than I had ever thought possible.  I told her I had loved her and regretted never telling her.  I told her I missed her.  I told her that I never wanted to lose her and how hard it was to leave her.

We exchanged emails several times and began to speak over the phone.  Letizia told me about her pursuit of a music career, how she had almost made it and how she had recently decided to pursue a career as a doctor.  She asked me one night if I would like to meet for dinner.  I was like, “huh?”  She was coming for a medical school interview at Howard University’s College of Medicine.  How could I resist?

I drove to pick her up from Mt. Vernon Square.   When I saw her for the first time again I knew.  We went to dinner at Il Tiramisu in Dupont Circle and talked for hours.  It was like not a moment had passed.  I reached across the table.  I touched her hand.  I ran my fingers over hers.  I remember the goose bumps, the nerves, the intensity of the first contact.  That’s how it all started…