2022: The Year We Met
Our meeting wasn't traditional; we connected online through a platform I now rather despise. Not long before meeting Kai, the person I now share my heart with, I had gone through some heartbreak. Honestly, before meeting her, I hadn't planned on dating at all. I figured I'd just connect with people and make friends, as I didn't have many at the time.
Kai and I connected very quickly, spending time together gaming. The first game we played together was Rainbow Six Siege, playing 1v1 matches against each other (she won). Then, suddenly, a crazy idea came to mind. Just one month after meeting her, I reached out and asked if she'd like to go on a cruise with me. Most people would find that quite impulsive, but it all just felt right.
Our First Trip
The day arrived: October 23rd, 2022, the day she and I headed out to Miami, Florida. She arrived in the city before me. I actually met her at baggage claim, approaching her from behind and giving her a little scare. She was stunning, just as beautiful as she is today. We spent a night in Miami, exploring the city and staying at the Radisson RED hotel.
I've visited many places, but Miami was somewhere I had always wanted to go. I was a big fan of the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious and the TV series Burn Notice, both of which are set in Miami. It was a must-visit for me, and I'm so glad my first time visiting was with my love, Kai.
We went to the Brickell City Centre and walked around for a bit before heading to a planned movie at the CMX Cinema. The place was absolutely beautiful. The movies and shows didn't do justice to how beautiful Miami actually is in person. Best of all, I was sharing that moment with someone special.
Fast Forward to Cruise Day
We took an Uber over to the Royal Caribbean cruise terminal to embark on our 4-night cruise. The Miami vibes from 2 Fast 2 Furious really began to show; it was an amazing drive. We then went through the typical embarking procedures (e.g., going through security, boarding the ship, and attending the safety briefing). This was her first time cruising, and I could see she was truly enjoying herself as we explored the ship.
She Enjoyed Herself A Little Too Much...
I almost forgot this part: she certainly enjoyed herself a little too much in the Bahamas. We stopped at a bar, and she decided she wanted to try just about every drink on the menu: Bahama Mama, Blue Lagoon, etc. She did all of this on an empty stomach. It's a good thing I don't drink, because I don't think I would have managed what came next otherwise.
When we got up to head back to the ship, Kai was very tipsy. She could hardly walk straight. This was the first time in my life I had witnessed someone truly intoxicated, but it was okay; we were on vacation. I had to carry both our belongings and hold onto her, and I genuinely struggled on the walk back. Just when it felt almost impossible to manage both her and our belongings, a miracle happened.
A kind woman, who turned out to be a nurse, appeared seemingly out of nowhere and offered to help me with Kai. I honestly don't think I would have managed to get Kai back to the ship in one piece without her assistance. We all made it to the line to re-board the ship, standing behind another couple. Kai suddenly blurted out, loudly, "Damn, she got a fat ass!" The woman looked back and laughed. "I love women," Kai then declared. "Women are great," the nurse replied kindly. This will always be a funny memory I look back on.
We were very close to getting back aboard the ship when Kai nearly collapsed, almost hitting the pavement, but we caught her just in time. The nurse alerted the crew members, who brought a wheelchair for Kai. A Royal Caribbean crew member then wheeled her onto the ship. I thanked the nurse profusely for her incredible help as she left us. I then headed into the ship's medical facility with Kai.
They treated Kai, taking good care of her. Shortly after, when we were alone, Kai repeatedly apologized, worried I would judge her. I didn't, of course, but she kept apologizing anyway. We were on vacation, and I was just happy she was enjoying herself, even if she had gone a little overboard.
After they finished attending to her, a crew member wheeled Kai to our room with me and advised that all she needed now was water. I thanked him and helped Kai into bed to rest. Needless to say, she passed out quickly. We proceeded to enjoy the rest of our time together, but this humorous incident marked the beginning of our shared adventures.
Two Months Later: A Rough Patch
Without going into sensitive details, about two months later, we hit an incredibly rough patch. Typically, when a couple goes through something like what we experienced, it can be enough to end the relationship. While I don't feel comfortable sharing the specifics, I felt it was important to note this period in our timeline. It wasn't easy, but we worked through it together.
Despite this challenge, it was also during this time that she met my family for the first time. I could tell they liked her. My family is warm and welcoming, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but they genuinely took to her (and today, they absolutely love her).
A Road Trip to Nashville, TN (Sometime in 2023)
I captured many moments from this trip, but unfortunately, I lost almost all the photos. If I ever find them, I'll be sure to add them here. This was our very first road trip together. At the time, Kai had her dog, Raspberry, an amazing German Shepherd who was initially nervous around me but quickly warmed up. It only took a few hours for the dog and me to bond. Honestly, it made me want a dog of my own, though I'm not able to have one right now.
Onto the trip details: we headed towards Nashville, singing songs and bonding even more along the way. When we arrived, we went to a place called Five Daughters Bakery because Kai wanted me to try their doughnuts. They were honestly great, and thanks to her, I got to try something new.
Our Honduras Cruise
A definite highlight of our 2023 travels, at least for me, was our Honduras cruise. Interesting fact: I'm half Honduran, and this cruise marked my second visit to the country. Exploring my father's land with Kai felt like another immense bonding and learning experience. During this trip, two of my family members, Kai, and I took a taxi to the other side of town to explore some shops. Kai ended up buying some interesting snacks, particularly chocolate. The town seemed heavily guarded, which I am sure made many feel safe there. It was also very beautiful.
Briefly on ship activities: Kai indulged in something she loves, competitive volleyball. I sat on the sidelines and watched her competitive spirit shine.
Fast-Forward: Many Adventures Ahead
We had many other lovely adventures, like exploring our respective cities, but I'll skip ahead to the more significant milestones (though every moment together was worthy).
My Visit Just Before Valentine's (2024)
This visit became particularly memorable because I felt I connected really well with her nieces and nephew. We spent time by a lake, semi-camping and grilling outdoors. Her niece made an adorable drawing of us all (photo above). The kids then banded together and started a pretend restaurant, gathering rocks and whatever green vegetation they could find. They playfully asked if I wanted to buy their "food," and I happily agreed. It was incredibly cute; I wouldn't change a thing about that perfect moment.
Panama City Beach (May 2024)
I flew down to her place to take another road trip, this time with her and her family, offering another great opportunity to spend time with them. We went to an outlet mall there and were greeted by the roar of fighter jets; the Gulf Coast Salute Air Show was taking place. As a huge flight enthusiast, seeing all the jets fly by at low altitudes was absolutely amazing. I know the noise must have been intense for most, but I loved it. The ride back was also eventful, filled with loud singing and laughter.
Our Alaskan Trip (September 2024)
Our most notable trip so far (at least for me) began on September 9th, with Kai and I flying from Houston to Seattle (with a short layover in LAX). During our stop in LAX, we visited the Gameway lounge and played the Black Ops 6 beta. Honestly, it was really fun, as I hadn't played any Call of Duty games in a while. It turned into another incredible bonding moment. Kai was kind enough to gift me Black Ops 6 a while later, and we play it together quite often now.
Onto our next flight, and off to Seattle we went. We had a one-night stay reserved at the Lotte Hotel in Downtown Seattle. Thanks to my AmEx Platinum membership, I was also able to get a fantastic room upgrade. We had a lovely view of the downtown area; no complaints there. With such a nice setting, I decided we should have an in-room dinner date. We ordered almost identically, a burger and fries, except she also ordered ice cream and sorbet.
I figured it wouldn't be too expensive, right? Wrong. The bill came to $113.88. That honestly blew my mind, but thankfully, I had credit from AmEx to cover it. The food was great, but not $113.88-great; maybe $23.88-great at best.
We then headed out to explore downtown Seattle. I can't quite describe how beautiful it is there, and wow, those hills are steep! Goodness gracious, it was quite a workout, but a fun one. We walked around the Waterfront Park area, taking many photos on our enjoyable adventure. After plenty of fun, we decided to head back to the hotel and call it a night.
Another embarkation day arrived. It was time to get to Pier 91 to board our ship and head to Alaska. We boarded the lovely Quantum of the Seas (well, we boarded separately and met up again at our stateroom door). Fast forward a bit, I got the best pizza on Earth (Sorrento's Pizza) and relaxed on the balcony with Kai as the ship began sailing away.
Our first stop was the beautiful little town of Sitka. For the first time in my life, I tried Gumbo. I didn't know what to expect, but I absolutely loved it. I have Kai to thank for making me try it; she was getting some for herself and wanted me to taste it first. I ended up liking it so much that the very, VERY kind man running it noticed how much I enjoyed his cooking and offered me a cup for free. He and I connected well, discovering we were both from the same state.
After eating and doing a little snack shopping, we headed to the Sitka National Historical Park (Totem Park). The walk isn't too long from downtown and offers quite a bit of scenery. We made it into the park and found ourselves near streams where salmon had reached the end of their lifecycle. It was a bit smelly, but fascinating. We also visited the local library, sat, and read for a bit. It was quiet and peaceful there.
Onto the next stop: Skagway. I can't and won't lie; Skagway was our least favorite stop. We explored a bit of the downtown area; it was decent, just decent. As an anniversary present, I had bought Kai a bottle of Fairbanks wine earlier. After picking that up and exploring a little more, we tried going for a hike by following the GPS to a nearby trail, but it led us straight to a building. Then, we decided to go to the local library, only to find out it was closed when we arrived. With that, we decided just to head back to the ship.
Next stop: Juneau. This stop felt very personal for a couple of reasons I'll get into shortly. We got off the ship and walked around the downtown area. Interestingly, I had gone dogsledding in Juneau a couple of years back, which was amazing. It felt strange not seeing snow this time, but the scenery was just as beautiful. We found the library, though I had to briefly run off to find an ATM (with no success).
When we left the library, we browsed a few shops. One shop, in particular, had rings that Kai really liked, so I bought one for her. We then caught a ride to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center and hiked the Nugget Falls trail. Honestly, hiking this trail with Kai was incredibly fun. We made it to the waterfall just as fog began to obscure the Mendenhall Glacier, but the waterfall itself was spectacular. Surrounded by all this beauty, I (sort of) got down on one knee and proposed to Kai. It was a cute, slightly funny proposal, but we officially got engaged that day. I was so happy to have captured it on video.
After soaking in the moment, we decided to hike back to the visitor center. We then explored other nearby trails; I stayed alert for bears, but we managed just fine. Soon, it was time to head back downtown. When we arrived, we spent a little more time together before deciding to part ways temporarily: she wanted to go back to the ship, while I wanted to walk around an area in downtown Juneau where I might potentially move. It was a pleasant 15-minute walk there and another 15 minutes back.
Two days later, we arrived at our final stop, Victoria, BC, just before heading back to Seattle. When I first visited Victoria alone, it wasn't nearly as enjoyable as it was this time with Kai. I actually really enjoyed the city with her there. We walked from the port, through beautiful neighborhoods, and into the downtown area. Kai, being a self-proclaimed coffee addict, declared she needed Starbucks, so that was our first stop.
Later in the day, we met a friendly older couple who lived there. They kindly helped us find a restroom when Kai urgently needed one, showcasing wonderful Canadian hospitality. We hung around downtown, exploring a bit more before heading back towards the ship to enjoy the final evening's onboard entertainment and food. Watching the sun go down with our ship in the distance was incredibly beautiful. I'll definitely include a picture of that below.
Off to Seattle we went. The final show the crew put on was legendary and truly memorable. (If you want to watch it, you can click here; I can't embed it on the site). It felt like the end of a really good movie when the credits start rolling; you enjoyed it so much that the credits just make things feel even more emotional. That's how I felt that night.
And then, we were back in Seattle. There was one thing I really wanted to try: instead of taking an Uber to the airport, I wanted to test the effectiveness of the light rail system by taking it from the nearby station directly to SeaTac. The train arrived promptly, and we reached the airport practically on time. I'm a huge fan of public transportation and admire countries that do it well (like Switzerland), where even the wealthy often choose public transport.
Hours later, we boarded our flight to Denver. Comfortable on the plane, we departed. I managed to take a really interesting picture while flying into Denver, which will be included below. It's not the greatest quality, but it's important to note we were flying at over 200 mph.
We got off the plane in Denver and explored the airport while waiting for our connecting flight. Now, cough, this next part is a bit crazy. Kai got hungry and wanted to grab something to eat, so we headed to a spot where my airport lounge access allowed me to get us about $50 worth of food at no out-of-pocket cost. I believe it was a sandwich, a couple of snacks, and drinks.
We then noticed it was getting dangerously close to boarding time, so we tried to rush back. Being concourses away, we accidentally got on the wrong train and ended up outside the secured area. To make matters worse, Kai realized she had left her passport (and ID) back at the gate. Even worse, the main TSA line was incredibly long, and the CLEAR lane was closed. Long story short, we missed our flight over mediocre food. Thankfully, it was okay, as we were rescheduled for the next flight out, leaving the following morning. So, we spent the night at the Denver International Airport. Despite the hiccup, we eventually made it back home in one piece.
Back to Panama City Beach (April 2025)
Most recently, I flew out to visit Kai. I spent a day at her place and got to spend time with her niece, a child I absolutely adore. I don't know exactly why I love that child so much, but I do. It makes me think a lot about being a dad someday. Knowing how I am, I know Kai's and my future child will be incredibly spoiled.
Moving on, we first headed out to Gulf Shores, AL for a night. It was a nice drive before continuing to Florida the next morning. We all stopped for breakfast, and for the first time ever, I tried a bagel. It was pretty good, I'd say.
We arrived in Panama City Beach, and I felt I connected with her family even more this time. Keep in mind that I'm quite introverted and sometimes socially reserved. It's not by choice; it's just the way I've always been. If I could change it, I truly would. For me, socializing is a process; it involves taking baby steps when communicating with people I don't know well. Quite honestly, I often (though not intentionally) avoid initiating conversations unless approached first. I acknowledge this and try to work on it, but enough about that.
We spent the time chatting, trying new foods, exploring the town, and going to the beach. It was fun, as always, and I feel this trip was another truly memorable one.
And to you, Kai: I dedicated a song to you a while back, but I don't think you fully grasped what I was doing at the time. So, if you're reading this and have made it this far, I'll share the song below for you to listen to, if you'd like. The lyrics are important.
I can't wait to take on more adventures with you, to laugh, smile, and truly enjoy the world around us together. I also hope we'll soon be able to share these moments with our future little one.
I love you, Kai.