It was the end of 2008 when I entered an IRC chat room that was dedicated to the music of one of my favorite video game series when i did a /whois on the 7 or so people in it and traced one persons IP (Yeah, it's that easy) to a little tiny North African country called Tunisia. I was super excited to meet someone from Tunisia, being from the US, as friends of mine from England JUST got back from the country and were telling me about it. I'd looked up all sorts of stuff about it and was fascinated by it. I even remember saying "Man, that looks awesome. That's a country I'd love to visit one day.... HA! As if I'd actually make it to NORTHERN AFRICA!"

So, seeing that there was someone from there, I was super excited and immediately let them know I knew about Tunisia and rattled off some pretty basic facts about the country they lived in. Clearly, they would know this but act shocked and happy that some American actually knew her small country even existed.

I was going through a rough time and trying to get back out to dating after dealing with an incredibly bad breakup and a couple years of psychological problems so I was not looking to meet anyone for any purpose like dating. Even in close proximity to me. A girl at school, however, caught my eye and, well, things didn't work out and of course, I'd tell this person these things. I logged into IRC once a week and liked them so i gave my MSN Messenger information to them.

I eventually asked for a picture because I'd like to see who I'm talking to and, my god. She was gorgeous. Not like "Man, she's cute" but like "Holy hell, that woman is HOT!" It wasn't love at first sight but it certainly was lust at first sight. I thought nothing of it as, you know, 5000 miles apart but as time went on we talked more and more to the point that, we were talking for 4-5 hours a day and I'd find myself hoping she'd be on when I'd get back from classes or when I woke up in the mornings. I'd want to talk to her before she fell asleep. I was slowly starting to fall for her but, I didn't know until there was another guy that was in the IRC channel that knew her personally that told me he planned on asking her out. I encouraged him but immediately felt angry and jealousy. It was then that I realized that I'd like to be more than friends.

I told her this in the most round about way I could by telling her "Look, I like you more than a friend". She told me she felt the same way. I kept repeating it like she didn't understand "No... as in... MORE... than a friendly way". "Yes, I understand. I feel the same way". "NO! Like, MORE... MORE MORE than friends". "Yes... I understand".

6 months after first meeting, we were "together" but also 5000 miles away. It was rough and I had never done this sort of thing really minus a few months with a woman that was going nowhere and meant nothing to either of us. Then I found this subreddit. It helped to know that we weren't alone. There were lots of us out there. Or, at least at the time, about 1500 of us. I was here so often, they asked for help moderating and so I volunteered. I was a mod for many years here and have some great memories.

5.5 years after first meeting, we met. Not only met, I stayed. I went to Tunisia, that country I thought would be amazing to visit, and moved there. We've been married since 2014 and together for a grand total of 13.5 years. There are still issues we run across because different cultures and backgrounds can suck but, I'm still here because, even after closing the distance, I know there are people here who run into issues like this, too. So it's not just a long distance, it's a long distance aftercare sort of place too. A place that I can not only guide others through the turmoil that is a LD relationship but get a reminder of the struggle we had to go through and even related to it and learn from it to apply to our current relationship.

I'm still not sure if my wife knows I LIKE like her... MORE than just a friend.