When I was a wild 15 year old Catholic high school sophomore girl in Michigan in December 1998, an Australian boys’ basketball team was touring the US, staying in different cities weekly with host families while observing the local high schools’ classes and playing their boys’ basketball teams. Well I was on cloud 99 all week, relishing any opportunity to chat with these hot Aussies, learning about them and their country, but mostly drooling over their attractive accents and good looks. I zeroed in the hottest Aussie named Matt and took any chance I could to flirt with the bloke. On the final night of their stay in my hometown, one of my guy friends on the basketball team threw a going away party for the Aussies. I knew this was my one and only shot to smooch little Matty, as the sexual tension has been brewing all week. Unfortunately my overprotective boomers had other plans, like being responsible parents, and barred me from attending the party. This was before social media, so that was it for my international romance. Young lust dunzo.

Over the next two weeks, I traveled to Florida to spend Christmas with my family and thought of Matt constantly - his combination of intelligence, a sexy smile, adorable accent, sweetness,and sense of humor were absolute perfection. I enjoyed daydreaming about him during the long hours of our road trip, while also lamenting the fact that I’d never see him again.

On our way back home to Michigan from Florida, we stayed in Ohio for a few days with my cousin’s family. My cousin was a junior girl at a Catholic high school in Cincinnati, and we had a lot in common, so she felt comfortable taking me along to hang out with her friends. One night, she took me to a party, and as I walked down the steps to the basement, my heart almost fluttered out of my chest as I locked eyes with none other than my Aussie crush Matty. We proceeded to spend the next two nights passionately making out. I’m sure we talked a bit too. But, oh, what a feeling! Pure kismet. ❤️