Falling for each other.
Avi's Memory
I had heard a rumor about some cute Texans in our section of Year Course. I tried to catch their attention but unfortunately 18-year-old Avi was not the best at first impressions. Second and third impressions remain my strong suit, to this day.
My opportunity finally appeared during a long bus ride back to Bat Yam from Akko and one of the last seats available was next to Naomi. I debated for a second, noticed she was wearing a Grav t-shirt and thought maybe this girl could be cool. 18-year-old Avi nailed his second impression. A long bus ride of Peter, Paul and Mary and a shared love of The Beatles made it one of the best bus rides ever. Plus I had her cracking up the whole time.
It took some time for the magic to settle in, but by the time we moved to Jerusalem I knew something good was going to happen. When Naomi left for Uganda, Monica and Joshy told me she had a huge crush on me! Once I knew the feelings were mutual I was very excited for her to return. I got involved with planning a party JUST TO DANCE WITH HER. I was willing to do anything to make myself look good.
Needless to say I went to dinner four days later with Debbie, Daniel, and the Levys, and I haven't stopped coming to dinner since.
Naomi's Memory
We were in Israel sitting next to each other on an evening bus ride from Tsfat to Bat Yam. I didn't particularly want to sit next to Avi, but for some reason I did. He quickly began to woo me by sharing headphones and playing Peter, Paul, and Mary on his iPod. I could tell he was cool.
I was nervous to tell my girlfriends that I had a crush on him as he had earned himself a bit of a shotty reputation. When I finally told my roommate, Monica, she totally came through and let the word be known. Apparently he was digging me too. :D
For our one month anniversary Avi surprised me with fried chicken and it hit me that this guy had major ‘boyfriend’ potential. I remember being so excited to tell my parents that a boy treated me to fried chicken! That was just the beginning of learning about Avi’s sweet and loving personality.
Avi is an incredibly generous and thoughtful person. He genuinely cares about others and treats everyone with patience and kindness. He is enthusiastic about the little things in life, like a great French Press, and he is also driven towards the greater goals in life. Avi makes me so happy, and I feel both lucky and proud to call him my best friend and partner.