Everyone loves a good boys trip to Nashville, right? So when my oldest friend asked me to go on a business trip there, I couldn’t say no. I thought we’d have our “crazy Nashville night,” but after my first $60 drink on Broadway, that was about it for me.

It ended up just being me, Nick, and an unhinged friend (Gunnar) hanging out for a long Friday night.
Given we had a 6am flight on Sunday, we wanted to have a slow afternoon of football - just hang out outside and relax. Now at the time, Nick and I both had sworn off women and wanted a weekend away to just hang and catch up. There was nothing that was going to change that.

Except for Julia.

I still don’t think she believes I said this, but I saw her walk in, in my favorite color orange, wearing lawn mower 3000’s and a local sandwich restaurant merch t-shirt, to which I obviously  said, “That girl is unbelievable.” I’ll never forget those words… mostly because I didn’t say any other words for the next hour. Nick kept saying, “If you’re gonna talk about it, do something.”

She caught me staring a couple times, but what was I going to do? Ask her to hang out for 3 hours then never see her again? It wasn’t until I was taking a picture of a football score, that I brought my camera down and she was standing beneath the tv, fake posing and asking “Are you taking my picture??”. Now was my time! But I awkwardly giggled and turned around.

Disgusted, Nick said dude, now you have to talk to her. So finally I said okay. I concocted a plan: go get a beer, and on the way back ask her to sit with us. When I came back, she was gone. I sighed - thought that was my loss. But what I didn’t realize, is that she was already sitting in my seat and was waiting for me to come back to her (or just wanted to talk to the unhinged friend, but I like the first version).

I think it took me less than 20 minutes to ask her to come to Denver with me, and told her there’s no way she’s spontaneous enough to come. I have since found out, and heard, and LIVED to know that she is in fact the most spontaneous person that anybody knows. I don’t think I knew her name, but I didn’t need to. I knew enough. It was the most wholesome and comfortable time I’ve ever had.
It took some karaoke and jazz to get her to commit, but 12 hours after meeting her and 12,000 Southwest points later, she was in Denver with me for a full Sunday, or the best first date you could imagine, and back in Nashville another 12 hours later.

Julia had given me a shirt to remember her by (I knew this wouldn’t be the last time seeing her, but she didn’t). She started a brand called Up To Something and I was wearing that shirt. I had a flight to Bentonville the next day, but I got abrupt news my grandma was passing. I rushed over, hugged her and said a final goodbye before the airport. On my way out, my mom asked if I was up to something. Of course I didn’t tell her I flew a girl home from Nashville for day of walks, hammock in the park, and ice cream. But I indeed was up to something, and I still am.

I didn’t know asking Julia to come with me on a whimsical adventure would eventually turn into her moving to Denver, or asking her to travel to Norway with me where I would ask her to spend the rest of our lives together - but it did.

Sometimes I’ll admit - she is unbelievable. Like, I don’t believe she’s real life. But she has shown me she is more real, more committed, and more dedicated to me and to our future than I could have ever imagined.

That girl truly is unbelievable.