





For the next 3 months Marco and I grew closer. We talked on the computer and on the phone all
the time. But now, in 2 weeks he was leaving for a holiday in Ireland and would be gone for 6
weeks. What was I supposed to do for 6 weeks? The thought of it bummed me out. The next few days
seemed to happen in a giant blur. The 'other person' had pretty much pissed me off & I was not
happy at the thought of not talking to Marco for 6 weeks. He and I discussed it, and decided that it
would be great if I could meet him in Ireland for the last 2 weeks of his holiday. Three days later I
had the plane ticket in my hand.
Now, to make a decision like that - to go halfway across the world, meet someone (alone) that I
had never met before, to be in a strange country while doing it, and to spend an unGawdly amount
of money to do so - well, it's just plain insane! But, I had reasons for doing so. The first and main
reason (which I eventually did tell Marco about a few days before I left to fly home) was sort of a
"you pissed me off, so the hell with you, I'm gonna go meet Marco" to the 'other person'. The
second reason was because this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to go overseas.
(something that I've insisted I would never do) The third reason was because the money I would be
spending to go, was money I inherited from my Grandmother, who would love for me to go see
Ireland. (her maiden name was McHugh - so you do the math) And finally, the fourth reason was to
meet this man that had come to mean so much to me.
The one thing that I insisted on before ever going was that we make a pact. This was going to be
a one-shot deal. No strings, no attachments, nothing. Whatever happened while I was there would
be left there as I got on the plane to come home. It HAD to be that way because we lived 4000 miles
apart. We agreed, he left for his holiday, and 4 weeks later, we met for the very first time.
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