A lot has happened the past year of my life. Actually, it's been over a year but I digress.
I don't know how many of you remember, but I was living a closeted life. I was alone and rather melancholy. I was 26 at the time and still living at home with my overbearing parents. They wouldn't allow me to live my own life. I'm sure that's hard for some to understand but my parents are so controlling that the changes I had in store for myself wouldn't have been possible had I of told them about it.
Instead, I wisely decided to keep my plans secret. I met a man online. A handsome, sweet man. We met at an As the World Turns fansite forum and clicked instantly. We started chatting, AIM, text, and eventually phone calls for months until we met up in New York for an ATWT meet the cast luncheon in April of '08. That trip almost didn't happen. My parents lobbied to stop me from going but I for once in my life stood up for myself and told them I was going whether anyone liked it or not. And I did.
After months of talking I met Michael and it was love at first sight. I knew I already had feelings for him even though we hadn't met face to face yet. Those months of chatting, texting, and phoning one another brought us very close to one another. We spent three days together in New York and on the second night he told me he loved me. I felt it too and so replied with the three special words.
It was all so crazy. When I went back home I was so incredibly sad. I was crying every day having to go back to my non-eventful life with my parents who wouldn't let me be. No one knew I was gay so they had no idea of my pain. I was still talking to Michael on the phone and we decided we couldn't live without the other.
We concocted the crazy plan of me moving out to California to live with him. As soon as I got there I would write a letter home telling my family the truth that I was not going on vacation to Vegas but rather choosing to live with my boyfriend as a gay man. I didn't think it possible but for once in my life I decided to follow my heart. It could have all came crashing down and blew up in my face but it was a chance that I was willing to take. I had to. I couldn't live for my family anymore. I wanted to live for myself once and for all.
So, three weeks after our NYC encounter, I moved to California to be with my boyfriend. I put in a two week notice at work and kept it all very hush hush. I packed very little to keep the appearance that I was coming back. Unfortunately, that meant I had to leave a lot behind.
At first it was all very dramatic and crazy once my family knew the truth. From a religious standpoint my family doesn't believe in homosexuality and point blank told me I was going to hell. I told them I was already living it by not being myself. After a few months the hysteria settled down and they realized I wasn't coming back and there wasn't anything they could do about it.
Now, here I am, over a year later and very happy. Michael and I married in April and are so very happy together. I never believed that I was going to find my soulmate but I did. I thought I was meant to live a lonely life. It was a fate I had accepted as truth but fate/life/God interceded and blessed me with the wealth of love.
I thought I would share my little story with all of you. I have been rather silent at this board the past year of my life but it was because a lot has been happening with me. Busy busy busy!
I'm the white boy on the right (Travis).
Michael is on the left and he's Filipino (cute, huh?). :wub:
I don't know how many of you remember, but I was living a closeted life. I was alone and rather melancholy. I was 26 at the time and still living at home with my overbearing parents. They wouldn't allow me to live my own life. I'm sure that's hard for some to understand but my parents are so controlling that the changes I had in store for myself wouldn't have been possible had I of told them about it.
Instead, I wisely decided to keep my plans secret. I met a man online. A handsome, sweet man. We met at an As the World Turns fansite forum and clicked instantly. We started chatting, AIM, text, and eventually phone calls for months until we met up in New York for an ATWT meet the cast luncheon in April of '08. That trip almost didn't happen. My parents lobbied to stop me from going but I for once in my life stood up for myself and told them I was going whether anyone liked it or not. And I did.
After months of talking I met Michael and it was love at first sight. I knew I already had feelings for him even though we hadn't met face to face yet. Those months of chatting, texting, and phoning one another brought us very close to one another. We spent three days together in New York and on the second night he told me he loved me. I felt it too and so replied with the three special words.
It was all so crazy. When I went back home I was so incredibly sad. I was crying every day having to go back to my non-eventful life with my parents who wouldn't let me be. No one knew I was gay so they had no idea of my pain. I was still talking to Michael on the phone and we decided we couldn't live without the other.
We concocted the crazy plan of me moving out to California to live with him. As soon as I got there I would write a letter home telling my family the truth that I was not going on vacation to Vegas but rather choosing to live with my boyfriend as a gay man. I didn't think it possible but for once in my life I decided to follow my heart. It could have all came crashing down and blew up in my face but it was a chance that I was willing to take. I had to. I couldn't live for my family anymore. I wanted to live for myself once and for all.
So, three weeks after our NYC encounter, I moved to California to be with my boyfriend. I put in a two week notice at work and kept it all very hush hush. I packed very little to keep the appearance that I was coming back. Unfortunately, that meant I had to leave a lot behind.
At first it was all very dramatic and crazy once my family knew the truth. From a religious standpoint my family doesn't believe in homosexuality and point blank told me I was going to hell. I told them I was already living it by not being myself. After a few months the hysteria settled down and they realized I wasn't coming back and there wasn't anything they could do about it.
Now, here I am, over a year later and very happy. Michael and I married in April and are so very happy together. I never believed that I was going to find my soulmate but I did. I thought I was meant to live a lonely life. It was a fate I had accepted as truth but fate/life/God interceded and blessed me with the wealth of love.
I thought I would share my little story with all of you. I have been rather silent at this board the past year of my life but it was because a lot has been happening with me. Busy busy busy!
I'm the white boy on the right (Travis).
Michael is on the left and he's Filipino (cute, huh?). :wub:
