How it begun

This is how I tell the story:

I was working as an AmeriCorp VISTA member with a horrible, horrible organization (or rather the org was great, but the man who ran it, was not). We were told that on Sunday, August 5th, we were going to be working at the local Puerto Rican festival, Bandera a Bandera, surveying the people to help Batey Urbano get enough data to determine their knowledge about gentrification.


To give you a visual of what the Fest looks like, play the following video:

Anywho...I'm with a co-worker, and she sees this guy she knows, and says we should go survey him. I walk up to him, and am immediately taken aback by the t-shirt he's wearing:





First, it's bright green (one of my favorite colors) and says "Jesus Loves This Guy." Secondly, I think to myself, "wow, a good looking Christian? Score!" Lastly, I look to my dress and say, "we're kinda matching!"

I ask him, if he'll take a survey about gentrification. He told me he really didn't want to.

God knows, I love a challenge ;)

So, I told him, if he'll just answer the questions, I'll go ahead and write down his answers. It'll be like we're having a nice conversation. He agrees.
At the end of the survey, I ask for his name and he says in a quick Spanish/New York accent, "EdgardoArceJimenezSalcedoCrespo."

I barely caught his first name.

I asked him to repeat himself, and he did... "EdgardoArceJimenezSalcedoCrespo." I think he was getting a kick out of this at this point. I asked him to write down his name, and told him his first name was too hard to pronounce.

"What about Ed?" I asked.
"No," he said.
"Eddie?"
"NO. Edgardo."
"E?"
"E-d-g-a-r-d-o."

At this moment, I decided to go for it... I told him that this was not going to work. I needed to make up a really good name for him; AND, if the phone number he had provided on the survey was his, I would call him later and tell him his new nickname.
He smiled at me, and said that was indeed his number.

This next part, I don't even think he knows...

I was home that night and while watching Nova, decided to text him and let him know that I was thinking up his nickname. He texted back a short time later asking if I'd come up with it yet. Earlier in the day, he had told me that his stage name was MC Potential, and I could just call him that. I explained that, I would NOT call him something that every other ordinary person called him. I did not know him for his stage presence, and would not be like the little groupies around him...

So, I'm watching Nova, and this programs about stars and planets happens to be on.
I reply back to him, "Your nickname is going to be LUNA!" He asked why this name?
I explained that it goes along with his stage name in a way:
We don't yet know the POTENTIAL that the moon has in store for us.
The man in the moon has a great smile, and is white... just like Edgardo haha
(Maybe I just added that last part in my head right now... but it does make sense)

He told me that he had a nickname for me then: Estrellita (little star), because 1) I'm petite, and 2) you can't have the moon without the stars.
(You can say it, "AWWWWW!)

Oh yeah, even over texts we were just as flirty with each other as in person.


Scene Two:

The next day, I get a text from him asking if I wanted to go to a family picnic at Montrose harbor.
I immediately said yes, because I wanted to see him again. I used my blackberry pearl to look up directions on how to get there.

I'd never driven on Lake Shore Drive.

I really wanted to see him though.... so I put my brave face on, and got there. Somehow, I got there.

I met his mom, little brother Joel and then girlfriend Linda, Older brother Jonathan, Uncle Jandie, Aunt (Yesenia), little nieces Angelica, Iris, Oldest brother Willie and wife Edith, cousins, Jailene, little Alex, and Jalexi. All at once, I met the whole family. This I think was a test for me. Either they were going to like me, and accept me, or totally dislike me and ignore me.

I always gravitate to little kids. I love them because they are so entertaining! So, I sit down with the kids on a blanket and start coloring with them. The littlest one, Jailene takes to me and wants me to play with her. Luna, has this huge smile on his face.
(he later tells me, that Jailene doesn't like just anyone, and he was surprised how much she liked me)

His aunt asked if I wanted to eat, and again Luna is smiling.
(he also later tells me that if his aunt didn't like me, she would have addressed him only)

Needless to say, it was going well. We decided to go for a walk and talk...

I've seen him and have spent time with him, EVERY single day, since the moment we met.
There hasn't been a point where we've blown up at each other and really fought.
We just get each other's point of view, really well.
He is, truly, one of my best friends.
I confide in him everything, and appreciate everything that he has to offer.
He, himself, has so much POTENTIAL, just like the moon.

Mi Luna and I are getting married on Saturday, August 4th, 2012 and plan to party it up, until the very next day... 5 years, to the day, that we met.


I hope you enjoy this blog, as I plan to chronicle every step along the way.
I have a little over a year to plan this whole shin-dig... and I figure, it's not going to be easy ;)