Love Story: Nadine and Leon

Nadine & Leon

How we first met

We first met at the Kevin Hart comedy show at FIU in 2009, where he began scheming after my cousin that I attended the show with. For the following months, from her stories I got the impression from my cousin that she was completely uninterested, and Leon was sweet but not really her type.
After an awkward add on Facebook while I was thinking he was only trying to get closer to my cousin, he somehow convinced me to give him my number, calling to ask how to cook "skrimp". Soon asking him to accompany me to buy school supplies the next afternoon, we chilled just about every single day since then. I just used to hang out on his couch listening to his music and study between classes, strictly acquaintances, then soon friends, and then (him realizing it before me) prospective beaus.
I had just come out of a 3 year relationship only a few months earlier, and I was not interested in Leon at all for the first month or so. His admission of a crush actually scared me at the time, when I remembered my cousin's stories about how he got attached fast lol. Leon started growing on me through his charming, cooking, and taking good care of me. Many steps later we became official on March 15, 2010. We have now been a couple for just about 2 years, and are working very hard to push together even further into the future.

Our Nicknames

We got the names Panda and Giraffe from our friendship days, as one day while we were cooking in his dorm he called me a little asian panda with his goofy little laugh, and I had to get back at him, telling to use his "tall giraffe-self to get the pasta on the top shelf". We are a whole foot and a half apart in height, me 4'10", him 6'4". It creates challenges, (such as when it comes to walking somewhere together on time lol), as well as really fun times.

This photo of us brushing our teeth together was taken at his moms house in Palm Bay, Fl. It marked the first of many overnight trips to his family's house. I've never had so much fun brushing my teeth lol. We traded turns with the camera and even recorded how to properly scrub each tooth, while being sure not to drop the camera in the watery abyss of the sink lol.

These were genuine smiles, and a real capture of that moment in which I realized that I could grow old with this guy. Waking up to fight over the sink, or tell the other they didn't brush enough is something that I can see myself getting used to. Even though we argue quite often and have our many downs, I am so happy we are blessed enough to have ups to make it all worth while. Our rare moments like these cannot always be caught on film such as this opportune frame, but when they do happen, they are beautiful.

What sets him apart from other guys?

Leon is a big goofball, loves to have fun, and is always there to give a good laugh. He is loving, attentive, and very caring. What most people see on Facebook is really close to reality, as we spend just about every single day together, and even then can still find times that we can actually stand each other. I have never trusted someone as strongly as him, especially in such a short amount of time. Even though he does some crazy and stupid things from time to time, I never have to worry about his faithfulness to me and to us. He doesn't lie to me for anything, and I can feel it. He always seems to have a way to reassure me that he is here to stay, and always ready to fight for we have. From time to time we have a breaking point, but we can never seem to cross the line and break us apart. It seems so unnatural...

Any advice to new couples?

• Don't sweat the small stuff. Every time we argue, whether a long heated argument or a 5 minute debacle, we always make up within a few minutes. If it goes past an hour, something is deeply wrong, and we still fall back into each others arms. Always remember you are wasting time by staying mad at each other; precious time that God did not mean for you to spend fuming over something that can be solved with mutual sorrys and some understanding from both sides. Forget who wins and who loses, and try and work it out by saying, "I get where you're coming from". Anything after that is up to what you value more, being right, or staying together.

• When you guys go out to parties, give each other some space and room to roam around, socialize, and even dance with others. We flirt with other people to a respectable point, because we know we will always come back home to the other, and a little joke here and there with other people is harmless and fair if your significant other is understanding enough to accept it. This freedom brings us back closer at the end of the day, and at the same time give each other room to escape this tight relationship.

• When you say you trust someone, do it. Don't look through each other's phones and Facebook, etc. It looks bad on you, and makes it hard for the accused to avoid hiding things. If you trust, it allows thing to be more open without forcing it to light. Leon just told me he's going to the strip club with his friends tonight. I can accept it because I trust him. He knows where the line is, and will check in with me and make sure he shows me I'm worth coming home to in the morning.

Final Thoughts?

We are not a perfect couple at all. We have just matured and learned to appreciate each other every day. Petty jealousy and little fights are too pointless to waste time over. Leon and I argue just about every day as we test the strength of this rubberband we call our relationship. In the end, God keeps us strong enough to snap back into place and hold ourselves together. I am pretty hopeful for our future and we'll all just have to wait and see where the Adventures of Graff and Panduh lead us.