Call me a love sick dork, but my boyfriend literally went out of town yesterday and I am this puppy waiting by the phone waiting for every update. There was no way that I would have been able to go though, because this trip had been planned for his graduation before we even knew each other. It has just been rescheduled to now due to the pandemic.
That being said, before the pandemic hit, I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to have him bring me back to his hometown. In honor of Maryland Day, I am going to share those memories today.
Driving Circles Around the Town
Can you tell that I am currently obsessed with the new Maren Morris album from the headline? Anyway, we flew into town on an afternoon, to which Asanti needed a nap from the early flight. When he woke up in the evening, we had some of his grand mother’s home cooking before he took me around town.
And I got a tour of his life. From the schools he attended to driving to his childhood home, he drove me around and we even walked around the campuses in the cold. Of course I pried a little, and asked about girls that he had a crush on in his younger years. He indulged me in more ways than one, taking me out to ice cream where his school used to have fundraiser nights.
Childhood Dreams
I was reminded of my own childhood dreams the next day as he took me around the Chesapeake Bay. When I was in middle school, I loved reading Sherryl Woods’ Chesapeake Bay series. I would say that it was a book series that made me imagine family and friendships that I wanted to have as an adult, and it took place in this setting that I was now walking around.
We started out with breakfast at the cutest little cafe called Lotus Kitchen, a place that is run by 2 female chefs and had so much character that I still mentally go back there sometimes. Then we walked along the bay and took in the views before heading off to Annamarie Sculpture Gardens and Arts Center.
The memory I have about the arts center is related to an exhibit they had. We walked in and we were asking about prices for entry.
So she was talking about that, and then said, “And the exhibit upstairs is restricted for adults or children with parents’ permission.”
And we said that’s fine, and opted to get a ticket that would give us full access to the property. She looked at me and reiterated what she said, to which Asanti seemed very confused and it took me a second to realize what she was trying to say.
“You know he’s my boyfriend and not my dad right?” I said, and that took her a second to wrap her mind around. Then she got flustered before apologizing and letting us in.
We laughed about it a bit as we explored, but I figured that we were all still trying to get used to people starting to wear masks. I also said to Asanti, “I feel like this is going to happen down the line when I look 30 and you look 60.”
And that exhibit that was upstairs? I don’t remember the technical title, but it was an exhibit that celebrated women, every part of being a woman.
Harbor Nights in Baltimore
One evening, we went out to the harbor area of Baltimore. I guess the family tradition is to go ride a mechanical bull on your wedding night, which I can’t imagine. Luckily I wasn’t the bride, but she was also lucky because the mechanical bull was not operating that night.
So we wandered in the cold, drink a little bit, and then stopped at a casino for a bit. It was the first time I was in a casino and old enough to play, but I realized that I had no idea how to play any of the card games. So I added “learn how to play casino games,” to my bucket list as we wandered around and played slots for a bit.
Always Celebrating Love
The main reason we came to Maryland was because we had been invited to a wedding, our very first wedding together as a couple. There was a part of me that was nervous, because it was the first year of our relationship and being around family and family friends is a pretty big deal, at least for me. Plus, when you factor in my strong desire to have everyone like me, I was putting on a lot of pressure on myself.
So much pressure that I did not dance. I am way too aware of the fact that I have no rhythm in my body, and Asanti and I had never danced together before. After pulling me onto the floor for a number, it took a minute before he said, “You are very stiff.”
“Because don’t know what to do,” I replied.
“You let me lead.”
“But I’m not good at relaxing,” I said looking at the floor, which made him laugh.
“I know,” he said, with a smile on his face that made me relax.
It ended up being a great night. Aside from his family, I met some family friends who helped raise him. Then I did the thing where you go and try and catch the bridal bouquet. Of course, my lack of athletic ability probably played a role in the fact that I didn’t catch it, but we were all talking about our one-day wedding anyway.
What comes to mind when you think of Maryland? Do you have advice for someone meeting the family of a significant other for the first time? If you’re a fan of The Bachelor franchise, what would your hometown date look like? Please tell me in the comments below!
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. If you enjoyed what you read, please help me out by liking, commenting, and sharing this post with your friends. And if you really want to make my day, you can subscribe to my email list to be notified when I put out more post like this one. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this one as you join me on these little adventures.
Love Always,
Kristi My
Kristi My Dao 