Ryan's Turn

Since Danny has done a great job of keeping you up to date of things going during the last year in the wedding planning process, I thought it would be fitting for me to share a little about how this all started. So with that said, here is the story of how I found the love of my life.

It was my first class, on the first day, in the first semester, of my first year of college that I met Danny. That’s right. Out of the hundreds of people that I met during my time at Marshall, Danny was the first. It was 9 a.m. Monday morning, and I didn’t know what to expect as I walked in to my first college class. The class was Communications 103 – Fundamentals of Speech and Communication. I nervously chose my seat. I don’t remember the exact point that we spoke our first words to each other, but I do know that before that first class was over, I already knew I had just met an amazing person.

As the semester went on, somehow my seat in class had migrated from the back to the front, which put me directly in front of Danny. We soon became partners on our speeches, and had to critique each other. As I recall, Danny was pretty tough on me. I don’t know if that was her way of flirting or her way of getting back at me for being a total suck up to the teacher.

By October of that first semester, we had stared sending facebook messages back and forth. The messages started out about class, but evolved to the topic of movies and life in general.

When the class ended, we continued to keep in touch through facebook. Occasionally we would run in to each other on campus. I remember seeing her eating lunch at a table by the fountain one day on my way to class. I walked over to say hey, and ended up skipping class to sit and hangout. I didn’t want to leave.The messages and chance encounters became fewer and further between. We still kept in touch, but we would sometimes go 2-3 months without writing.

In March of 2008, I was helping my friend Derek look for apartments. He had a meeting to see a house on 6 avenue. I went with him to look at the place, and while we were waiting on the porch, Danny and her roommate Ginny drove by. I was so excited to see her, as it had been several months since our last random encounter. I practically ran down the alley to meet her as she got out of her car. We then just stood in the alley and talked forever. I don’t remember what we talked about, but I do remember it was during this conversation that we exchanged telephone numbers. I also remember leaving with Derek and telling him “dude, she is the coolest girl I have ever met.”

In the next few days, we texted back and forth a little bit, and started talking in the evenings on an instant messenger. One night, while talking, she said that she and some friends were going to walk around campus. She extended an invitation. I was at her house 10 minutes later. As we walked around campus, we kind of broke away from her friends and just walked and talked by ourselves.

I spent several evenings in the following weeks at her house just talking. We would sit and talk for hours.(Something that after four years, we can still do for hours) I don’t remember everything we talked about, but I do remember feeling like we were meant for each other. There wasn’t an official start date to our relationship, we just both agreed in May of 2008 that we were perfect together so we tagged April as our beginning.

That first summer was great. Two of the greatest moments I remember are: 1). Danny and her roommate Sarah randomly showed up to my apartment one night challenging Tyler and I to a water balloon fight in Ritter Park. I don’t think Tyler or Sarah enjoyed nearly as much as we did, but we had fun, and that’s all that matters. 2). Danny got a bike for her birthday that year, so the next day, I went to Walmart and bought a bike. We went on a ride through Huntington looking at houses, buildings, the river, and the park. We just kept riding because it was great to be together. I went back and traced our route and map and figured up that we rode about 15 miles that day.

 We’ve been through a lot together since that summer. From us laying in the floor crying together, to uncontrollable laughter that would not stop. From going on random adventures to Louisville to being bored together but loving ever minute of it. Ups, downs, sadness and loss to some of the biggest accomplishments in both of our lives, the last 4 years of my life have been the best because of her. I’m so excited to live the rest of my years with her. I love you Danielle Bray.

514 - Can't wait to make you my wife!!!