There and Back Again: A Love Story, by Anthony Buonomo

"Hey, Ant, wanna go with me to Idaho this weekend?" offered my friend Brent.
"You're goin' to Idaho? What for?" I asked, a bit confused.
"I'm goin' to go up to see Michelle (his girlfriend)," Brent said with a smile.
"What am I supposed to do while you and Michelle are hanging out?" I reasoned.
"Just come chill with us, it'll be fun!"
"Aight, let's do it!"
This would be my first time to Idaho. Why not? I thought. It could be fun. The Brigham Young University of Idaho was our destination as that's where Michelle was living. Although the drive up was a little scary concerning the winter roads, we had a blast. It consisted of Brent and I singing at the top of our lungs to rock song we liked: Three Doors Down and Linkin Park. We arrived around five in the afternoon and hung out with Michelle and her roommates for a while just shooting the breeze. It wasn't long after that that my growling stomach told me I was overdue for a big meal. Our conversation turned to food, and two minutes later we were out the door on our way to Hogi Yogi. We knew that walking there in the snowy weather would be a lot more fun, not to mention safer than driving. Besides, it was only two blocks away.
The freezing cold wind outside made the cozy Hogi Yogi look even more inviting. The cashier was the first person to catch my eye as I entered into the warm haven. She was a cute girl just a little younger than me, I figured. Her long, straight brown hear, beautiful green eyes, and tall slender body made it hard for me not to stare. I knew this trip was a good idea, I thought. As she took everyone's order, she revealed the qualities of confidence and authority which I also thought was very attractive. That's about the time that I starting thinking of ways to get this cutie's number. I ordered their teriyaki noodle bowl and sat down with the small group I had come in with.
As my excitement climaxed, I thought, it's now or never! I had already worked out in my head how I would get her number. I took my bowl of noodles back to the counter. I hope this works!
"Can I get you something?" asked the girl in an angelic voice.
"Yea, can I get some rice to go with my noodles?"
"Sure," she said, taking my bowl.
I took my seat again among Brent, Michelle, and her roommates. After eating the rest of my bowl, it was time to return to the counter.
"Did you need something else?" inquired the cashier.
"Yea, can I get your number?" I said, hiding my anxiety.
"Are you serious?" responded the cashier with a bit of skepticism mixed with glee.
"Yea, I'm serious!" I laughed.
"Well you'll probably want my name to go with that, right?"
"That would be good," I smirked.
My plan had worked! I thought. Annalise; her name complimented her beautiful figure and sweet personality. We talked for just a little bit before her duties called her back to work. During our conversation, I asked if she wanted to do something the following day, but to my dismay she told me that her day was full. I want a date with this girl! I thought. I'm only here for another two days!
We left Hogi Yogi, and I was pretty proud of myself for getting a cute girl's number. It wasn't too long after I left the restaurant that I started to text her; I couldn't resist. This was the test; would she text me back, or had I seen the last of Annalise? My heart sped up and a smile spread across my face when my phone vibrated and I saw her name on my screen. Texting back, I asked when she got off work. "I get off at midnight, but you can come over for a movie." she texted in reply. Jumping up and down was the only way to accurately portray my excitement. This was the start of a beautiful relationship.
Midnight came along and I met Annalise at Hogi Yogi to walk with her to her apartment. Freaky Friday was the movie we had put in for entertainment, but it soon became just a distraction. We ended up talking and laughing the whole time. Before I left she told me that her plans for Saturday had fallen through, so we arranged to have a play day. It took me a while to fall asleep that night; it's hard to sleep through excitement and anxiety.
The next day I woke up early and texted my new friend. She told me to come over, and I did not protest. We had an awesome day together playing the game "Guess Who," bowling, and just hanging out. Our awesome day turned out to be an awesome weekend together. Brent and I even called in sick from work to stay until Wednesday! To both Annalise and I, it felt like we had known each other for much longer than just the few days that I had been up there. On Wednesday before I had to leave, we were talking about what would happen to us. We were worried if this would be the one and only time that we would see each other due to the distance that separated us. I asked, "So, . . . what if I tell my friends in Utah that I have a girlfriend in Idaho?"
"Then I would tell my friends in Idaho that I have a boyfriend in Utah." She said, accepting the invitation to be my girlfriend. This was the first of many weekends that Brent and I would make this familiar trip up to Idaho to see our girls; it was the start of a new life.
Annalise and I couldn't have been happier. That's not to say that there were not obstacles and hardships to overcome, however. A long-distance relationship was new to both of us and so were the inconveniences that came with it. We couldn't just run over to see each other after school or after work; weekends were our only time together. Only someone who has experienced a long-distance relationship knows how hard it really can be emotionally, physically, and financially. It's like craving your favorite snack for a week long until you finally get that ice cream, steak, chip, or whatever it is, the taste becomes that much sweeter, juicier, or crunchier. So it was with Annalise and I, but I wanted to eat every day!
Summer was approaching and I had asked my friend Joseph, who resides in Idaho, if he had any extra work on the farm that I would be able to do for the next couple of months. "Well," he said over the phone, "if something comes up I'll let your know." True to his word, I got a call about a week later. Joseph not only provided me a job working in the fields, but also arranged for me to stay in his home with him and his family. I couldn't have asked for anything better at the time. Joseph called me on a Thursday, and I packed up my belongings I would need and moved up the next day. Now I only lived 30 minutes away from my true love. Life was perfect.
Two months later, Annalise and I made a commitment to be with each other for time and for all eternity. The wedding was beautiful. My wife was beautiful! It's with fond memories that I look upon our past. Our whole story together could have been taken from a fairy tale. I was the Great Prince Anthony who journeyed to a far-away land. If was no surprise that the handsome prince found a beautiful princess and swept her off her feet. To them it was love at first sight. Was our tale any different? Yes; our tale is a true story. We are currently working toward our "happily ever after," but remember, true love stories have no endings.