March: Meet Rachel

I originally thought of asking Rachel to be my April post for her birthday, but she had some really REALLY exciting news recently, so she got pushed up!  I've had quite a few roommates over the years, but Rachel is the only one dubbed, "Roomie".  As in I still call her on the phone and say, "Hi Roomie!".  Although we've only known each other for 5 years, we've had a lot happen in that time, and we've each always been there for the other. She's a very reliable friend and always has exciting updates and things happening in her life.
Stats
Places we've been together: Germantown, MD; Washington, DC; Harrisonburg, VA; La Plata, MD (CRABS!!!!)  And a TON of day trips around MD and VA
Best thing about Rachel: Her Sarcasm
Funniest thing about Rachel: Her addiction to shopping.  Girl loves herself some clothes and accessories.  There was ALWAYS a box of something showing up for her to pick up.  I wish it would rub off on me! 
Worst thing about her: She wears a size 5 shoe and she is petite (read=short).....when we lived together, sharing wardrobes was rarely an option!!  :-)

Without further Adieu (and I'm sure you're all itching to find out her news....you're just going to have to read all about her to find out!)
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I met Lindsey in the spring of 2006, before our college graduation. Somehow we spent four years at JMU together, shared a mutual friend --- but yet never met each other. We were looking for jobs and moving away to start our careers, and Lindsey and I were both moving to the Montgomery/Frederick County, MD area. Luckily, our mutual friend David Taylor informed us that we were both moving to the same area. Lindsey and I met one day for lunch on campus and determined that we would make a good match as roommates while starting this new adventure in our lives. We spent a beautiful spring day on our first road trip together to Maryland to visit apartments. We visited several complexes (and realized how similar our apartment tastes were...thank goodness!) before settling on The Elms in Germantown, MD. The Elms is where we’d call home for two years together.

Lindsey and I connected right away and quickly became close roomies. We spent mornings at the gym together (well not all the time) (ohhh the dreadful 6am gym sessions....I backed out of those bad boys QUICK!), shopping and day trips, and evenings together having roomie dinners. It was during one of these dinners and nights out together that Lindsey and Terry first met. One evening while we were out having dinner and a drink at one of our favorite restaurants, Red Rock Canyon (just reading Red Rock makes my mouth water), our bartender was flirting with Lindsey. I don’t know why Lindsey wasn’t flirting back or showing interest in our cute bartender (I wasn't flirting back because I had my wisdom teeth pulled the week before and I still mentally felt like I looked like a 500 lb. chipmunk), so I took it upon myself to provide Terry with Lindsey’s name and phone number while she went to the bathroom. (Ok ok ok, this....NOT true!  While she did FORCE me to give him my number under threat that she would write it down and give it to him herself....it was ME who wrote it down and gave it to him....wobbly nervous hands and all). She could not believe that I had done this but I think today she would thank me for having one too many Margaritas! (What I really thank the Margaritas for is when Terry came over and asked, "What age of guys do you date?" and I was completely caught off guard and tongue-tied, Rachel didn't skip a beat and said, "As long as you're not old enough to be her dad, she'll date you".  While it was quite shocking and ridiculous (read=hilarious), it ended up being perfect because at that time...being 21....I would have said I'd date up to 30 probably......and at that time Terry was 32.  Ahhh...the memories)

After two years, Lindsey and I parted ways as she moved to Texas to be with Terry. I continued to stay in the area but moved to Frederick instead of Germantown where we had lived together. Even after moving our separate ways, Lindsey and I remained friends via email and phone calls. Lindsey has always been a supportive and loving friend even with the thousands of miles separating us.

Lindsey was such a supportive friend during my break-up and was there for the fun year of dating that followed. I shared many horror dating stories with her until I was able to inform her in December 2009 that I had been on a great date with a guy named Jamie. After that first date, Jamie and I were always together. (I got to meet Jamie on one of my trips back east.  He was so shy at first....although to his defense I was just a big ball of energy with getting to see Rachel after so long...but then he warmed up by the end of the night and I could tell they were a great match together!)

In March 2010, I bought my first home in Frederick, MD. I purchased a foreclosure townhouse which needed a lot of work.  My father, Jamie, and I worked on the house every weekend for several months straight. (Her "Before" pictures compared to her "After" pictures would make you believe it's an entirely different house) It was a wonderful bonding time for all of us.

During the summer of 2010, Jamie moved in to the house with me and we purchased our puppy, Ellie. She is a goldendoodle (golden retriever mixed with poodle) and will be 9 months old in March. Ellie brings us so much joy and so much frustration. I also credit her for bringing Jamie and I closer. She proved to us that we can make it through the ups/downs of owning a puppy. I can’t remember what life was like without her.

I had the pleasure of contacting Lindsey last weekend (Feb. 19) and informing her that Jamie & I are engaged! (ENGAGED!!!!) We have eagerly jumped in to the planning process and have set many of our details already. We will have a fall wedding at an intimate, simple, and elegant chapel and reception hall in Clarksburg, MD.

We hope that Lindsey and Terry will be able to attend our wedding on 11.12.11 in Clarksburg, MD!  (Ummm....OF COURSE! Wouldn't miss it!)