#44 - Short and sweet

44: Write the story of how Luc and I met

I'm thick in the middle of sending out our save the dates - which means I have to finish our wedding website since it's listed on the cards. Some things can wait (registry, hotel bookings) and have been noted as such on the site, but some things had to be tended to (the homepage banner which will be done next week and "our story"). Here is a succinct version of how Luc and I met going to school in Quebec in May 2005.

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In 2005, Kristen signed up for a French-study program but was put on the waiting list. Disappointed, she made other plans for the summer and got on with her life.

Over in Saskatoon, Luc had signed up for the same program, and upon only getting his 3rd choice of school, decided that he would not participate. The students were chosen through a lottery, and Luc and Kristen had both drawn the short straw...at first, that is.

A few days prior to the start of the program, Kristen got a call from the administrators informing her that a spot had opened (only her 3rd choice of school) and it was hers for the taking. She was remiss to accept the spot at first, but decided that it was an opportunity that would not come around again, so she bought a plane ticket, said goodbye to her friends, and 3 days later arrived in the Montreal airport.

Luc was also grappling with a similar decision; do I stay or do I go? In the final days, Luc changed his mind and took a chance, abandoning Saskatoon for 5 weeks of school in Trois Rivieres. He was settling for his third choice of school, but he had heard that the program was just one big party anyway and thought it beat 5 weeks of working.

During the first week of the program, Luc and Kristen met at a party in the residence buildings. She was misinformed and thought he was a Newfie, and he thought she was cute for showing up to a party in sweatpants. (editor’s note: had she known it was a party she was going to, she would have donned the proper apparel).

Lookout readers because here come the clichés! They hit it off, sparks flew, it was love at first sight, and the two were inseparable. Excuse the cheese, but Kristen and Luc really are best friends in love. The two were smitten – they spent every day together for the remainder of the program; whispering grammatically incorrect sweet nothings into each other’s ears (en francais! But of course!), holding hands on the midnight streets outside of the residence buildings and sharing muslix in the cafeteria. They had the Quebecois version of a French love story.

Facing the final days of the program, they began to make plans to see each other again that summer. What followed were countless flights back and forth, snail mail, e-mail, text messages, phone calls, messenger pigeons…anything to bridge the gaps between seeing each other. In April 2006, Kristen got on her last solo flight to Saskatoon and returned with a green Sunfire packed to the ceiling with boxes and the love of her life behind the wheel.

Four years, one week and 2 days after Luc and Kristen’s first kiss, Luc got down on one knee with a stunning diamond ring and asked Kristen if she would be his wife. Through happy tears she said “yes” and fell into Luc’s arms where she would stay forever.