Scottish blacksmith

Our first date was perfect — one of the most romantic I've ever had in my life.

He wanted to see elephants, so the next day we went to a sanctuary.
But his eyes stayed on me the whole time. He barely looked at the elephants, even though it was his idea.
On his last day in Thailand, he got an elephant tattoo.

We wandered through the Sunday night market, swam in the ocean, and had a beautiful dinner by the beach.

That whole week was beautiful. I felt seen.

After he went back, he started waking up an hour early every day just to talk to me before work.

It was fine when I was still in Thailand or Korea — different time zones.
But once I was in Europe, same time zone...

He annoyed the shit out of me.
Non-stop texting. Calling every free minute he had.

He told everyone about me — his whole family, his work.
I was invited to his family BBQ and work party before I even arrived.

He sold his guns to fund my trip.
(But why do you have guns in the first place???)

While I was in Scotland, he showed me all the natural beauty and culture the country had to offer.
His parents joked that I’d seen more of Scotland than they had in their entire lives.

I can’t list everything he did for me — it was on another level.

I got to feel what it’s like to be completely chosen and prioritized.

Being nice is a beautiful thing, an amazing quality.
But it can’t be the only reason to fall for someone.

If I were that simple, I’d probably have five kids by now.

Time has come to an end — and something new, something exciting, was waiting ahead.

This reminded me of what I truly want, and it taught me that no matter how much effort you pour into it, if it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be.

But it was perfect — somewhere in between.