~The infamous L-bomb incident~
So Nate and I started to officially 'date' in July 2002, as the first post in this series mentioned. I was reluctant to start a relationship with Nate because I knew he was studying abroad in Spain that fall semester. I had the privilege of studying at SLU's Madrid campus in the Spring of 2000 and I was well aware of the debauchery to ensue. Serious relationships spanning two continents aren't exactly easy.
But despite my tough exterior I was falling for this frat boy. We talked on the phone the entire semester. My parents have the ridiculous phone bills to prove our budding relationship talks:) I vaguely remember staying up until the wee hours of the morning to talk to 'my boyfriend in Spain' and I couldn't help but smile every time my phone rang.
I decided it was necessary to make a trip to Spain. Not just to relive my glory days abroad but to see Nate. I told my girlfriends that it was time: if Nate didn't tell me he loved me during this visit, then I was going to say it first. Big deal, folks. Very big deal. My friends and I decided that we needed a code word so when L-bomb was dropped, they could be informed without ruining the moment. I didn't want to be 'that girl' calling up her girlfriends in the middle of a special moment to say, "OMG he TOTALLY loves me!" So we made the most logical choice and announced that "Bombs over Baghdad" would be our code phrase. What? Outkast rules.
[2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Mardi Gras St. Louis. Then we got too old to hang]My return trip to Madrid was absolutely heavenly. I think I could return to that city a million times and it will never lose it's magic. Our first night out Nate and I got into a deep conversation. He leaned into my ear and said, "I love you." I pulled away and said, "I love you too, and I was going to say it if you didn't." I hesitated for a split second then spilled the beans: "I have to call my friends and say 'Bombs over Baghdad' because you officially dropped the L-bomb. It was supposed to be a code phrase but I'm way too excited right now and I can't stop talking, and OMG you totally love me." Sigh. What a special moment complete with Outkast lyrics and Europeans.
[so many weddings, so little time]Do you remember which one of you dropped the L-bomb first? Was it eventful? Full of code words? :)
Julia, I love these stories. You two are freakin adorable. Our story isn't quite as cute. We were both pretty drunk and after he blurted it out, I said "WHAT??!" Not because I wasn't happy with what he said, but because I legitimately couldn't hear. Kinda ruined the moment :)
ReplyDeleteWhat great pictures! Mike definitely dropped the L-bomb first. Early on in our relationship, he mentioned how his ex dropped it first and he returned the favor because he felt bad. At that moment I thought, "note to self...DO NOT drop it first." So I waited...and not too long. He said it first after he sang me a song that he wrote for me. Hehe...he will hate that I just put that out here on the internet!
ReplyDeletewhat a fun story! I loved it. I wish mine was as good as that and included an Outkast lyric, but not so much. I said it first actually and it was a totally sweet moment
ReplyDeleteI'm still dying from embarrassment over our "first" L-Bomb story. I said it first, but it was an accident. I know. That makes no sense at all. Rob was my first boyfriend (and my last!) and we had been dating for a few weeks when we were saying good night. I gave him a hug and during our still kind of awkward goodbye I said "love you." You have to understand that I do this a lot in a friendly way with a lot of my friends. I immediately turned a lovely shade of red and bolted for my car. My whole drive home was spent thinking Oh, my, God! What do I do? I don't really love him! But, what do I say? I don't really love you? It was an accident? We eventually cleared up the situation the next time we talked, but it was by far one of the most embarrassing moments in our relationship.
ReplyDeleteLater though, Rob did say it first, the second time around, when it really counted... :o)
I don't remember anyone saying it for the first time. But I was only 17, I know that...
ReplyDeleteI studied abroad in Madrid last summer and I am a little bit surprised that you have such a liking for Madrid. I liked the bar next to campus but as for Madrid, not a fan. It's my least favorite city in Europe.
I'm totally loving all of your different hairstyles in these pics!! Remember when we used to buy those "Glints" hair colors?? Isn't that what they were called? They always made our hair some shade of red and washed out in like 5 washes. HA!
ReplyDeleteErin~I loved those Glints! I forgot about those
ReplyDeleteKaren~You didn't like Madrid? Why not? I loved that city's restaurants, bars, shopping, nightlife. Now granted, Barcelona and Dublin were my ultimate faves but still. I guess it WAS in 2000 so maybe things have changed?
Stephanie~you are too cute with your story. Totally something I'd do!
Kelly~sweet moments are all that count.
Lauren~you naughty girl:) He wrote a SONG for you?!
Sharon~I have hearing issues sometimes and I'm sure I've missed important moments in my life because of it:)
It was our first summer together and we were laying on the couch taking a nap which we did often (ohhhh how I miss naps) and he thought I was still sleeping and he told me how much he loved me and that he knew he was going to marry me someday. The L-bomb he knew I was awake for was special too. We went up to his grandfather's farm with his brother and then FSIL and after dark he and I went for a walk. He stopped me on this little bridge under an open sky of stars, told me he loved me, and kissed me before I could say anything back. It is the single most romantic moment of my life. That night ended in my car being submerged in water with us walking 5 miles back to the farm with me beating him with a bag of Doritos but that's a story for another time.
ReplyDeleteAw, you guys are so cute. I love seeing the older pictures of you two.
ReplyDeleteJason definitely told me first. It was right outside my building and he said, "I'm so in love with you." I still get chills thinking about it!
Such a cute post! I love it! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that he dropped the "L-Bomb" first, because I was scared I was "rushing things." ha
Cute story Julia! And I love the pictures. ;)
ReplyDeleteChad said I love you first. Actually, we'd only been dating for a few weeks, and he was leaving my house one morning. As he was walking out the door, he said "I love you" and then kinda ran away. He actually said it so fast that I wasn't even that I heard right. Later that day, I was with my mom and BFF and I told them, "I think Chad told me he loved me!! But I'm not sure..."
Haha, very romantic, right?
Julia- How weird! Cribb and I started dating in July 2002 and then he studied abroad that fall in Spain...and I went to visit him!
ReplyDeleteThe L-bomb had already been dropped before he left though.
Love your stories!
Ok, since I already told my "I love you story" on my blog, I'll pass :-D However I do have a funny college story about the song "Bombs over Bagdad". (I hope my mom does not stumble across this!)...I was a junior in college and a bit smitten with a frat boy. We were making out in his room and that song came on on his computer. I remember thinking "oohh, I need to download that song." Now when I hear it on my mp3 player, I have to laugh at the memory.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I am falling in love with these stories! You two have the cutest relationship ever.
ReplyDeleteJust and FYI I love your hair in the Master's Grad photo. Your layers are great.
Jeramy said he loved me first as I was falling asleep in his arms one evening over at his old apartment.
No trip to Spain, no Outkast for me.
You guys are the cutest. :)
ReplyDeleteYou know, I can't even really remember who said it first? I think I did, too soon, in a ... moment of passion, we'll say. But he said it first for real, on New Year's Eve 2001, out on the dark sidewalk while walking into a party.
We broke up later in 2002, though, so those aren't the I love yous I really remember. The one with the most meaning was the night we got back together finally - he pulled me toward him and said it, kind of flustered-like, like 'when are you going to sit down and give me the chance to tell you that I love you?'
... and I was the happiest girl alive from then on. ;)
You two are so cute - I love the changes in Nate's hair through the pictures. Our "I love you" story is kind of weak, it involved a fraternity formal and a lot of drinking...ah, liquid courage.
ReplyDeleteI love your stories Julia! I spent a semester abroad in the Netherlands. Let me tell you what kind of debauchery ensues when you are studying in a country with legalized prosituion and marijuana! LOL! It can definetly put stress on a relationship when you and your signifcant other are an ocean apart.
ReplyDeleteAnyways,my hubby is the one that dropped the L-Bomb first. There was no way I would say it first. We met in college. We had been dating 6 months and we were laying in my dorm bed and he looked at me and he said he Loved me and I said it back. That was almost 9 years ago! Jeez!
you two are too cute! i love your stories about you and the hubby!
ReplyDeletei told him i thought i was falling in love with him- and he told me that he had already fallen- 3 months later we were engaged :0)
so sweet! <3
Seriously - you guys are too cute! I love hearing (err...reading) these stories!
ReplyDeleteScott said it first. I was always asking him what he was thinking, and one night when I was really tired I asked him and he said "I think I love you..." and I didn't really catch it. I found out later that he really did say it and I felt badly that I didn't tell him back!
ReplyDeleteSweet story Julia!
ReplyDeleteDH came over to my parents house one day after I got off work and we were laying in my bed just goofing around and he says, "stop, I have to tell you something. I love you."
That was the first time I felt time stand still. It gives me chills to think about it.