What was it like to see him for the first time?

[abbi627 43]

Hi again everyone. I know I spend a lot of time caught up in the practical things that need to be done in this process. But I also often find myself daydreaming about getting off the plane and seeing him for the first time. And I really wonder what that will be like. So I am asking - what was it like to walk off the plane and see him (or her) for the very first time?

[lovebirds85 12]

Like the WOW effect

When I saw my fiancé for the first time I somehow knew that this is going to be something special. First thought when seeing him getting out of a bus for the first time “wow he is taller than I expected ”

[Shoot Em Straight 385]

Tired my best to not be stinky & fatigued looking...from the travel, and laboriously pushed my 3 large bags out to the main area of the airport and did not see him.

Tried not to look too lost because there was plenty of "help" just waiting. Walked up and down the airport pushing my cart...wondering why I did not have his cell phone at hand and for a moment realizing I was in a new country, no dirhams and what the heck did I get into. It passed.

Was eyeing a person at the cafe using a laptop (Oh, how fast I could call him through yahoo phone out!) when I turned and spotted an official at the airport.

Flagged him down and asked if there was another arrival area?

He was so so so helpful Welcoming me to Morocco, almost father like letting me know he is there to help and we will find my party.

He sat me down and went to ????

Few minutes later, on my left I seen my future husband quickly walking past my area searching the crowds. He had run from another area to here. I watched him a little more, noted he is tall and loved the way he was looking for something important to him.

Then called his name.

Later he said he will always remember the feeling hearing me say his name at this moment.

It was not the dreamy way one would want to finally meet, hahaha but it is OUR memory.

I am glad you asked and hope you will have a wonderful time in your meeting.

[R and F 34]

I remember getting off the plane, going through customs and seeing the tallest person I had every seen waiting in the crowd. I knew it was him and he quickly kissed me on the forehead and told me there was a taxi waiting for us outside. I thought where in the world am I? Then we talked some in the taxi and went to the apartment he had rented for a week and I need say no further. He will now be a naturalized citizen on July 6th and things are going well for us. I will always be thankful for my family and friends and especially to God for bringing us together.

[abbi627 43]

I love these stories. I am sitting here reading them with a silly smile on my face. I laughed when I read the part about trying not to look too bad after the long trip - well I am wondering the same thing. I really want to look my best when we see each other the first time but it is a long trip - Miami to Madrid and then Madrid to Casablanca. So I know I will want to dress comfortably for the flight but I don't want to get off the plane looking like something the cat dragged in LOL. Thank you all for the stories and I hope to read more.

[Golden Gate 530]

Hi again everyone. I know I spend a lot of time caught up in the practical things that need to be done in this process. But I also often find myself daydreaming about getting off the plane and seeing him for the first time. And I really wonder what that will be like. So I am asking - what was it like to walk off the plane and see him (or her) for the very first time?

Well, I had been warning him that I was short - I am 5'1" and he is 6'1" - and he kept saying I look average size in the camera, so I didn't want him to be shocked. Therefore he was imagining that I was a midget or something, since I kept mentioning it. Later I asked him what if I did seem like a midget, what would he have done, and he said he would have put me in his pocket and we would go on our way.

I got off the plane, and I went to buy a telephone card so I could call his mobile. I called it and he told me where he was, but I couldn't find him and realized we were in two different terminals after I walked and walked down the terminal.

When I first saw him, he was standing with another man, and I was feeling really greasy and grubby from traveling the past 24 hours. So, I went up and just said 'hi' and he introduced his friend. I was thinking - 'Sh--, why did he bring his friend????? We were going to be traveling 10 hours across the country and I thought his friend was going to be coming with us, which wasn't what I was planning' He took my bags and I went to a bathroom first thing to wash up. Then we went to rent a car. I tend to talk a lot and use humor when I am nervous, so that was what was happening. I was just blabbing and I am sure neither of them knew what I was saying. Then, we got the car finally, and we said goodbye to his friend, because in fact it was completely by chance he met his friend there who was leaving to go to Turkey the same day I arrived.

Once we got in the car and were actually moving, he took my hand, and then I totally relaxed and we were like we had always been.

Later he asked me why I didn't kiss him in greeting at the airport, and I said because I was nervous with his friend there, and would have to get on my tippy toes, and probably something awkward would happen, like I would fall down. He said he was also wondering how to handle the situation and decided just to treat me like he treats his friends, and so that is what he did and we have been fine ever since. He also said he was worried because I looked so skinny, as I had lost so much weight from the stress of my job. But I got my normal weight back after eating there all summer a few months later.

I drove as fast as I could 10 hours across the country, and he had to remind me to be careful periodically . I just couldn't wait to get where we were going.

[JeanneVictoria 55]

Made it thru Cairo's customs and to the baggage area to claim my luggage. I waited and waited and no baggage!!

Well I knew it left Los Angeles, and finally found it...it had been put with the tour groups!

After claiming the lost luggage, I turned around and saw this man...the tallest man out of the whole group of people

waiting and it was him!!! I began waving frantically and then I saw his face....it was so white with fear!!!

With my cart behind me, I was rolling like a wild woman to meet him. I remember my legs not moving and everything

in slow motion...finally go up to him and said hi and shook his hand!!! No hugging in Egypt!!! He tried to talk and

but he was so in need of some water! Finally he smiled and that was all it took...left Cairo for the trip to Alexandria

and he did non stop talking...the rest is history!

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Awww ! I love hearing the stories!!! so sweet!

[Amber & Ahmed 133]

Great topic!!! I can totally relate to the not wanting to look awful after the looong travel! So but of course I had a plan lol.... I flew from Chicago to Turkey before my final flight to Cairo. So once I got to Turkey I found a restroom and whipped out my arsenal of soap brushes lotion and perfume. I washed.. scrubbed... moisturized.... brushed my teeth my hair then changed my clothes. I then went to wait for my final flight feeling fresh n clean n nervous! About 30 mins prior to landing I got out my makeup bag and put on some light makeup did another spray of perfume and was feeling rather pretty and confident.

Upon landing I went thru customs got my visa... picked up my luggage where I also found LOTS of eager "help" LOL I had to keep saying No NO NO I have help waiting! I walked a long time to get out where I would find my Ahmed. I found one last restroom I ducked in for one final once over. OK AMBER PERFECTION!!! LOL

I walked out into the waiting area and began looking around and there he was standing off to his self looking handsome... happy and nervous! My heart and stomach did flip flops in unison! We walked to each other he grabbed my cart and led me out to his car where he had flowers n candy waiting. He then began driving like a bat outta hell! I was screaming baby! baby look out... oh God oh God! He starting laughing and saying relax relax this is how we drive here! Yikes!

As we were traveling thru the city on our way home I kept looking at him just drinking in the sight and smell of him. He kept sneaking peeks at me and I thought "woohoo thank God I had my refresher in Turkey! " Once we got into his flat we kinda just stood there looking at each other. Then he showed me around and said good night to me with a handshake! YES A FREAKING HANDSHAKE!!!

So there I was alone in his flat in a strange country with a handshake! I changed into my nightgown and fell asleep before the call to prayer woke me up LOL! All the next day I was alone while he worked. When he came to me after work I was ready to cry! Here after all these months of talking planning and being excited we finally are in the same time zone and all he does is shake my hand!?!?!?

Anyways he came in the flat and we sat there talking then suddenly he asked if he could kiss me.... I of course said YES! The rest is history LOL He hasnt stopped kissing me since that kiss!

I wish you the best most memorable meeting and life together!

[Nasturtium 500]

Well, I didn't meet him face-to-face in an airport, so I don't have a getting off the plane story.

The first time I saw him was probably when we were introduced to our Jordanian colleagues on the site. I don't really remember him there. I do remember him on the bus ride back to the university. He got on the bus and then that evening my friend mentioned he was cute. Then subsequent days of working together I thought he was a jerk because he wouldn't really talk to us and he was super short, sarcastic, and somewhat derogatory in his responses. LOL when one person handed him a thing she found that she thought was a bead, he held it, tossed it up in the air, and handed it back to her. He then said, "That? Is goat sh*t. Amazing. Call the papers." (Which actually made me LOL although she was quite upset.) It took about 2 weeks to decide otherwise when he started trying to be nice.

[X Factor 1,110]

Awww ! I love hearing the stories!!! so sweet!

Me too

[sandinista! 1,816]

i was coming off of two overnight flights in a row, first from portland to ny, with an all day layover, and then from ny to casablanca, so subsequently i wore a big kangol hat and sunglasses, and didn't take either off until i'd had a chance to take a bath. my husband met my mom and me at the airport, and then we took a 3 hr train ride to marrakech. he helped us get to our hotel, and then went shopping for awhile so we could get unpacked and freshened up and all that good stuff. it sounds totally anti-climactic, but it was honestly one of the most fun, exciting, and sweet times of my entire life. even when he kept buying me flowers all the time that i had no free hands to carry them with, and felt like a total dork carrying around everywhere.

[zahrasalem 114]

I was working in Dubai and he was working in Qatar when we met. He only had Fridays off, so he flew to visit me in Dubai (Sharjah) on a Thursday night and had to leave the next night, so we only had 24 hours, but we wanted to know if there was chemistry or not in person, like we hoped, to move forward or not, etc.

When he arrived at the airport, he was wearing a suit and looked so sharp We hugged a little without being too obvious in public and we drove to my apartment. On the way home to my flat, he asked to stop for some cigarettes and when I was watching him go into the store and come back out, I distinctly remember a strong happy feeling come over me that said "I'M GOING TO MARRY HIM!!" I can't explain it

All the way driving from the airport, we were immediately super comfortable with each other, like we had known each other before and it wasn't the first time we met, a very familiar feeling that we couldn't explain. It was the best 24 hour first meeting ever. When we arrived home at my flat, we took off our shoes at the door, and I brought his shoes back to my bedroom with mine, instead of leaving his shoes by the front door. I just did it automatically, as if we were already married.

After we married, he told me when I did that one thing, of bringing his shoes with mine into my bedroom, he knew he was going to marry me

When he had to leave the next day, we were sad of course, but we also knew we would be together again soon to get married, and we did get married several months later.....

[LaL 418]

We met in person, so it's likely the most boringiest story ever. He was only in town for 2 more weeks after we met, so we had dinner a handful of times, and I showed him around. A little dose of reality never hurt a startup relationship so I got in a pretty bad accident just a few hours before I was supposed to hang out with him (awesome!). That kinda cemented a good friendship at that point, but still I wasn't really interested in being involved with someone who lived so far away. That kinda changed when he called me from the airport when he landed back home. Lots of back & forth for the next two years - then we got married.

[RFQ 110]

This is how it went for us:

He came here to meet me first, with plans to marry me 2 days later, providing it all went right. I rented an extended stay hotel and was waiting to pick him up that night. i had the room all set up. And then... he was delayed in Detroit. D: I ended up spending the night in his room with my 2 kids and no him. We skyped from his hotel room (his here- and his there in Detroit)

The next morning he was scheduled to arrive. I was only minutes from the airport but 45 minutes after I thought he should be landing- he still hadn't called. I decide then we should get in the car and head that way. About 3 minutes out from the airport he calls and asks where i am? YOUR'RE LATE!!! His phone and laptop only had a Euro-style adapter so he was electronically dead. I am surprised I didn't pass out. My insides turned inside out as he walked up to the car- so handsome, better in real life than in pictures even <3. I tried to take a picture of him as he opened the door and said "salam alaikom" but I was so nervous I put it on video and then promptly dropped the camera... All I have of the first moments is a picture of the car seat and my lap.

There was no hugs, no hand holding... just me shaking like a leaf. We had to go apply for the marriage license that day after dropping the kids at home and introducing him to my parents. We were so giddy-nervous, all smiles, and lots of bashfullness especially on my end. I must have been blushing and shaking 90% of the time! Later that night was dinner with my dad and step mom... The next day was shopping for a ring and then heading to the mosque for the nikaH (Muslim wedding ceremony/contract). Then.. then we finally got to hold hands and I was shaking still --even more. haha.

How did it feel? Indescribably really... seeing him there at the airport. So many days I drove by imagining each time that it was his plane pulling in. And then! Then it really happened... 2 weeks later he left and I still wasn't sure if I dreamed it all or it was real.