How We Met

Our relationship had a rather unusual beginning!

On an arid summer day, back in 2009, I read an article about a man in a travel magazine that I had subscribed to for years. It detailed his adventures in the Caribbean as a marine biologist and underwater photographer and was a rather inspiring piece of literature. At the time I was positive that I would be single forever. My previous relationships had ended in disastrous arguments about how much time I spent pursuing my dream of becoming an established underwater photographer, and I had no time for nay sayers. 

The article was encouraging. I sat there and felt satisfied by the idea that perhaps there was someone out there in the world who could share the same passions and lifestyle that I did. I tossed the magazine in the back of my truck and forgot about it.

Fast forward a few months. It was a cheerful Sunday morning, and I was sitting on my couch with my pup when the image that had accompanied the article of the man in Grand Cayman came swimming into my thoughts. He was handsome, with dark hair and a bright smile. I thought it was odd that his face would appear in my thoughts and took it as a sign, so I dug up the magazine (still in my truck) and googled his name to see if there was a photography website. There wasn’t. So, I did what any 20th century 20 year old would have done, I checked Facebook. There he was, Jim Ward : Graduated from University of the Virgin Islands, living in Grand Caymen. 

"Add Friend"

My initial intention was to send him an accompanying message that explained how I’d come upon his page and why I was requesting “friendship”. My parents and little sister were moving back to South Carolina in a month and I was considering moving to the Caribbean so I could continue my photography while also maintaining a relatively close proximity to my family. What better way to get an idea of what life is like in the Caribbean than to ask someone that currently lived there?

"Jim Ward has accepted your friend request"

He accepted it before I could even type me message! The best way to relate it is to a scenario where you’re calling someone with the intention of leaving a voicemail, but they pick up! You’re dumbfounded! And I was exactly that. So, instead, I just kept quiet.

We shared ‘likes’ on each other’s photos for a few months, but it wasn’t until September 6th that the bright little red flag, signifying a message, initiated our communication. 

Jim sent me a message that said, “I haven’t got a clue why your pictures and posts started showing up on here, but I’m really happy that they are..” 

I responded and embarrassingly admitted that I had read about him in a magazine and had tracked him down online. 

Within a month, we had written over 80 pages worth of letters to each other, enjoyed multiple hour long skype conversations, and Jim had bought a ticket to Oahu for a month long stay while his office in the Caribbean was shut down during hurricane season. 

He stayed in my studio apartment for the month, went back to Grand Cayman to tie up some loose ends, and officially moved in with me January 2010. We’ve been inseparable ever since!