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How I Met My Marky
I am answering this question for Holly, who wondered, “I know you’ve probably answered this at some point before, but how/when did you and Mark meet? I am a SUCKER for “how we met” stories. What can I say?”
I hope no one minds.
There is a time in college when a certain stressless and wonderful feeling comes over students – the first weekend back after summer break. You’ve missed your friends and everyone reunites with hugs and tales of the summer. No one is stressed because classes have barely begun. There is hope and energy. If you’ve been away at school you know that feeling. I met Mark during that time. I wish I could bottle that feeling and sip from it daily.
In my junior year and Mark’s sophomore year we lived in the same dorm, Good Counsel Hall. It was an interesting dorm at Villanova because unlike all the other dorms, girls and boys lived on different wings of the same floor, separated only by a common study lounge. Giant windows covered the length of the rooms and 341, my room, was the best. I could see everything that happened right outside the dorm from virtually any point in my room. The building had a large front lawn and a big stairway leading up to the front door where, on a nice night at the end of August, everyone gathered after a night out.
On this first weekend back at school my roommate and I returned from a party, she a little more impaired than myself was, of course, hunting for food. It was customary to order from Campus Corner at this time, but instead my roommate decided to go hang out on the steps and order food later, or so I thought. I looked out my window and saw my roommate harassing a boy for a bite of his cheese steak. I went outside and told her to stop. The boy, as you probably guessed, was Mark. That was when we first met. We talked on the steps and then went our separate ways for the night.
At first I thought he was odd, which is true. But soon we became friends. And by “we” I mean Mark, my roommate and I. I remember when we brought him to his first college party. My roommate and I arrived at his door and saw Mark in a button down white shirt and khaki pants. Clearly, his idea of college fashion came from Alex P. Keaton. He is odd, but he is interesting, I thought. We continued to become friends and eventually, Mark started hanging out in our room more and more. At night the three of us stayed up late talking and fell asleep to Notting Hill. Mark always slept over the covers of my roommate’s bed. Because of the room configuration, our beds were in an L shape and our three heads met in one group. During one of those nights, my fingers dangled off the side of my bed and caught Mark’s hand. And that, as they say, was that.
I hope Mark decides to write his version of the story because we had drastically different opinions of one another. I will be honest and say I thought Mark was rather strange, and I was right. On the outside Mark is quintessential New Jersey – muscles, hair, tight shirts; but on the inside he is completely unique. When I first met him he had these atrocious sandals that old men wear in southern Florida, a backpack on wheels and Lord of the Rings posters (this was before any LOTR movies) on his walls. At first I liked him despite his quarks, but now he is my best friend because of them.
These are pictures of pictures, so they are of poor quality, but they are fun!
In 341 Good Counsel in October 2000.
My roommate and I had a small Howie Day obsession. We dragged Mark on Nov. 20, 2000 for a performance at The Point in Bryn Mawr.
One day in 311 Good Counsel (Mark’s room)
Last day in 311 Good Counsel
Parents’ Weekend Fall 2001. Mark loved performance fleece.
First time I shaved Mark’s head – Spring 2002.
Haha, super random comment but my sis goes to Villanova and lived in Good Counsel Hall!
My husband and I met in college. Too. Much. Fun.
Awwwwwwwww! You two, are completely adorably awesome. Congratulations on 10 years!