OXLAEYI Fall in Love – Yea!
Easter 2012 I travelled to southern Germany. A short-lived affair, Annika, had invited me to spend the holidays with her and her parents at their vacation home in the mountains. I was already tired of the relationship, she was starting to ask for intimacy, but why not?
That Easter weekend, something shocking happened. I left dazed. Her parents were so kind and accepting. They had all lived in the United States and I felt so culturally accepted in a German-American split personality kind of way. We went for hikes, dinner at restaurants, we lounged and chatted. Back for Berlin after that long weekend I felt confused. I felt something new. No not new. It was something that had long been dormant. Something woke up. That weekend, in that family, I felt love.
The relationship with Annika didn’t last. It had already been mortally wounded weeks before Easter vacation. But that feeling… What was it and how can I get it back. I started reading books on love, happiness, relationships. I set new goals to explore new feelings, like running the Berlin marathon. I tentatively started to ask friends, so what is this love thing all about? Over the next few months I felt happier than I had in so long. I enjoyed my friendships more. My world trip was still important but now I saw people and relationships as important in my life as well.
Then…
It was like in the movies. Her name was Claire. I met her the day before the Berlin marathon. Actually, I sat across the isle from her on a business flight back to Berlin from Brussels the night before but couldn’t catch her eye. There she was the next day, in line next to me, collecting her running number. She had come to Berlin to run the marathon too. She was beautiful, French but living in London and also worked as a lobbyist. She was perfect except for one thing. She ran the marathon under 4 hours. I clocked in 10 minutes later.
My heart was open. I fell in love.
