It’s been 10 years. 10!
On February 1st, 2008 Jamie and I met each other in person for the first time at the bottom of an escalator at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York. I was with my sister, and we were flying in for the Yearling Winter Weekend ball (sophomore ball) at West Point. She was attending with her high school sweetheart boyfriend (now her husband Josh) and I was attending as a blind date for Josh’s best friend, Jamie. We’d been talking on the phone daily for about three weeks, so we didn’t feel like total strangers when we met.
Just under three years later, we were sharing a last name and embarking on the life-long journey of marriage together. Fast forward another seven years, and we have two beautiful little mash-ups and an entire lifetime of experiences that we’ve built our firm foundation on. What if I wouldn’t have gone on that blind date? Where would each of us be today? Who would we be married to? Would we have kids? Our entire lives would be different if we didn’t spend that weekend together. I can’t even think for a second about an alternative though. I can’t imagine Hadley and Sadie not being here. An entirely new chapter of our lives began on February 1st, 2008, and we had no idea. 10 years!!
We had just turned 20 when we met, and I love that we met as young as we did (albeit we’ve had our challenges and growing pains because of it).
My parents actually met on a blind date as well when they were 16 (my mom might have actually been 15), and they were married when they were 21 and 20. Growing up, my mom always said that one thing she loved about getting married young was that she felt like her and my dad honestly grew up together. They learned how to do every single “adult” thing together, and that always stood out to me as something really neat since “getting married young” often has a negative connotation.
Jamie and I were obviously young when we got married too (23 and 22), and I so agree with what my mom said: It feels like Jamie and I have grown up together. I can think of a handful of times this was probably a disadvantage because it was the blind leading the dang blind most of the time (still is!), and we probably didn’t make the best choices at times or could have used a bit more guidance. But we were forced to figure out so much “life” stuff together, and I think there’s something wonderful about that.

So, when did you meet your significant other? It seems like the pros vary so greatly when it comes to what season of life you met your spouse. Two of my closest friends got married last summer at age 29 to the best guys who were both in their early 30s. Seeing the beautiful pros about a marriage beginning after a decade of “adulting” has been really neat to watch them enjoy. Both couples were so financially stable, so mature, so ready for marriage, and so confident that they’d met their match. They were able to combine households and just have a really nice start to this whole marriage thing. In so many ways, our experiences contrast from each other, but they were/are also very similar too in that you have two people who are now figuring out how to humble themselves, serve another, and work together as a lifelong team. It’s just fun to see how people’s stories play out in their own perfect timing.
Let’s chat!
What were some pros and cons about when you and your significant other met? I’d love to hear your thoughts! It’s a fun topic, right?!
Related: Why being happy should never be the “end all be all” in marriage and some of the best advice we received during premarital counseling. Also, some opinions on what age gaps between kids are best.
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo