Our relationship at the distance

I won’t say it was the easiest thing on earth, but we did a pretty good job in having a long distance relationship, specially after I learned that I could not be anymore a “Venezuelan Cuaima” and I learned how to handle not having daily phone calls, etc… my biggest learning: “If I got mad for any reason (as a good Venezuelan cuaima), I was gonna loose because Jon does not really get mad easily”.

So, any guess on how often we visited each other? An average of every 3 weeks (6 weeks being the longest time we did not meet). The key for success: “Do not say bye without knowing or having a very good idea about when is your next date”

The long distance relationship was lot of fun as we got to meet not only in Caracas and Cincinnati, but in other cities in the middle of my business trips (Atlanta, Miami, Mexico, Brussels, Paris …), and in some international weddings (Costa Rica, Puerto Rico…)

Of course that in the middle of having fun, we were both working on how to get together in the same city to have a traditional boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

Finally, 3 years later, we got to be together : for 1 year in Caracas and now in Cincinnati!!!

How the story continued?

With no expectations whatsoever for keeping in touch, I was gladly surprise when about 1 week after Chicago I got a SMS from Jon Lu: “Are you in Brussels the coming weekend? – I want to visit you”… You have to be kidding me was my first tough but I gave him the benefit of the doubt: “Yes, I’ll be here and I’ll be really glad if you can come”

That Friday arrived and I was picking him up at the airport, but just in case of the trip being a joke, I made extra plans for partying that night with my friends, so I would not stay lonely at home. Well, surprise surprise: He was at the airport at the planned time!, and at that moment I knew “He was my guy”, even more when he remembered what I was looking for my mom and dad in Chicago and as I could not buy it, he bought it for me: The cutest guy on earth!

So, still not considering him as my official boyfriend, we went to a “Spanish Feria” where all my very good friends were going to be… the knew the story… but I’m honestly don’t remember how I introduced him, I guess he was my friend. We had an awesome afternoon, and it was even better when after leaving he asked me in “Spanish”: eres mi novia?

Jon left and I was very sad as I knew I wanted to have a serious relationship with him but the distance really seemed difficult to handle and in Venezuela we say: “Amor de lejos, amor de pendejo”… but less than a month later I got a second visit :o)… and after that distances seemed very easy to handle (a bit expensive, but love could do it), specially because I was coming back to Caracas and now the distance was between countries and not continents.

I came back to Caracas, and 3 weeks later I had my formal boyfriend being introduced to my parents and Venezuelan friends, who immediately loved him.

How did we meet?

Well.... althoug sometimes I feel like a "Corporate Slave", I must thanks P&G for bringing us together.

I came to Cincinnati on May 2004 for my "NewLinc" training, which is a P&G event for new R&D employees to introduce you to the company and to help you create networks... and we did create one!



I came from Brussels (where I was living at the time) on May 22nd and the fun started in a "get together" reception, where I do not remember meeting Jon but he rememberes meeting me. After the reception, we decided to go to a Bar and Palominos was the selection. There for the 1st time I remember being introduce to a cute Chinesse boy, who was the only US person joining us as he lived in Downtown and was part of the organizing team for NewLinc.


Training days and partys followed, and the one taking us for partys was Mr. Partying Lu... and party after party, the last day was almost approaching... so, Thursday night after couple of drinks and still thinking that the Chinesse guy was cute... we kissed!

The day after I was leaving to Chicago with my friends, and it end up with Jon also going to Chicago to "visit a friend"... He was our official tourist guy, and I can assure that I was very happy with that :o)





So, as the time for leaving approached and over a "girls" table conversation about "boys", I was asked: "How do I fit in your description?"... easy answer for me: "You make a perfect fit... but Brussels - US... I don't know"


Well, I left and "Love was in the air"!!!!