Our Story

Last night Matt and I had dinner with a "new" couple, an old friend and her new boyfriend to be exact. We started the night talking about how we'd met, they embarrassed at their meeting and us a little embarrassed about ours too. Ours more so because of the location, I think the story's worth telling.

I was in center camp, probably looking for mail, when I saw the 3 boys that had been kicked out (more scapegoats than anything) standing in center camp with their friends waiting for parents to come and shamefully drive them home. I went up to one who I knew was Matt and chatted a bit. He had rosy cheeks, an adorable face and bright blue eyes. He was shy, but talked with me. I asked if he thought he'd come back next year. He wasn't sure. I told him he should.

Later in the year while IMing with camp friends, the cheapest way to stay in touch, one mentioned Matt. I talked about thinking he was cute, wanting him to come back, etc. She gave me his screen name and I IMed him. No response. But I found out through other people that he was in fact planning on coming back. I figured it was because of me. No really, I knew it probably wasn't but I was excited.

During the weeks before the campers get to Eisner, the counselors from each unit have time to spend together, for evening prayers, dinners, etc. I had my eye on Matt. He was adorable. Usually you start the summer with a crush, something to keep you occupied during the long boring nights from 9-12 pm when the kids are safely asleep, and there isn't much to do. Matt was totally mine. I knew his best friend Dan, so I figured I check out the situation via him. I was told there were many girls with an eye on Matt, and he didn't know how it would end up. My game started. I flirted when I could, but damn he was shy. I talked up his friends, I asked them to talk me up to him. One friend I had "gone out with" the summer before and he was "Hook Matt and Adrienne Up" fan #1 and a crucial part to finally getting us together. The weeks went by and the campers arrived. I was worried one of the other counselors would snag him, my confidence was decreasing.

On Friday nights they often do a staff oneg (the food put out after services so people can break bread, have wine and chat) after the kids have gone to bed. The staff were all sitting amongst the tables in the dining room, and Aaron the Fan #1 was bouncing back and forth between my table and Matt's. He was such a hard worker. At one point he finally went up to Matt and said, "Look, we both know you like Adrienne and we both know she likes you. So just do something!" I just sat there giggling with my friends, cause really that's how you get the guy, right?

The staff made their way to our open-mic location, another Friday night regular since we aren't allowed to go off camp that night, being its Shabbat and all. I sat towards the back with my friend Emily, looking for Matt to come in, hoping he'd come in. He walked by me and tousled my hair. I was in heaven. It was my cue. I was ready to swoop in and scoop him up. Most of the other girls had given up at this point anyway. After the open-mic I walked outside with him and his friends, mine cheering me on from the sidelines. We walked around center camp, mostly letting other people talk as we were both too nervous to speak. At one point we had to climb up and over something to get into the games room and my pants split. I'm not kidding. Right down the back. I heard the rip and gasped quietly. Luckily because of the cold summer nights in the Berkshire mountains I had a sweatshirt with me which I wrapped around my waist. I felt like the biggest dork. You don't wrap sweatshirts around your waist unless your 5 or 65. No offense. But a 19 year old trying to woo a boy, does not walk around with a sweatshirt around her waist. Oy.

We finally approached curfew and made our way up to the bunk areas. Not much progress had been made. I was feeling unsure, feeling like I had to do more, he clearly wasn't going to make the next move, tousling the hair was it, I had to do something. We stood in a group talking by the bunks for a bit. Laughing, chatting. Matt indicated that he was going to head off. As he started to walk away, something came over me.

"Wait! Matt."

He turned and waited

"So..." I began, "Okay, let’s just be honest. As Aaron Said, 'We both know we know.'

He just looked at me

"Okay, so I like you and I think you like me."

"Yeah."

I waited for more, it didn’t come

"Okay, I guess I'll go first. I think we should hang out, and see what happens."

"Okay."

"Really? So you like me?"

"Yeah."

"Great!" My stomach was doing cartwheels, back flips, jumping jacks.

He smiled

"So... can I have a goodnight kiss?"

He leaned in and we kissed. He smiled at me and said, "Goodnight"

I was beaming, absolutely beaming as I walked back to the group of people.

"Oh my god! Adrienne! What possessed you to do that? What balls!" They all cheered. And that was it, we were together from that day on.

Later I would learn that Matt walked into his bunk and pumped his fist in the air and mouthed "Yeah!"

In about a month it will have been 7 summers ago that we met at Camp Eisner. Sure its a little dorky that we met as camp counselors at a Jewish camp, but the story's good. And, I got my guy.