It's been a long time, my friends. The last time I was really active was almost 5 years ago. Looking at my profile and list of posts, the last time I was really active was the beginning of July 2020. So, I think it I owe it to my friends to let you guys know what has happened to me, because quite a lot has happened in the last 5 years.

So, in 2020, I started a relationship. We started dating a few months before I graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor's in History, and a Minor in Political Science. She had come to America from India to get her Master's in a some kind of Fancy Engineering. Ironicially, right before we started dating, I went to India to see a friend from college, who had been inviting me every year to come out to New Delhi. I had a great time.
When we graduated in May, I decided to move to Seattle, as my sister was due for a Kidney Transplant, and the doctor's and family thought I might be a match. So, we made our relationship into a long distance one. It wasn't easy, and her father did not approve of me, so after almost a year, we broke up.

In 2021, it was discovered that my sister was ahead of schedule by a few years for her needed new kidney, so I decided to move from Seattle to the Washington DC area, to look for work. My father and step mother also lived about an hour and change away from DC. I ended up taking a job with an Amazon Grocery Warehouse, and after a few months, I managed to get a lateral promotion, being the saftey supervisor to help launch the 2nd ever freezer in Amazon Warehouse history (at least in America). After a few months of that, and shortly after the soft launch, they wanted me to move back down. I didn't want to do to that, so they let me go. Around that time, I had a cancer scare. So, I let my ex know. Turns out, in the year that we had been apart, she had finally gotten a her dream job, got her permanent resident status, and was doing really well. She came out to Baltimore for a work trip and to see me, and we ended up getting back together. Thankfully, the cancer scare was nothing, and it wasn't even a tumor, just some swelling.

In 2022, I managed to get a good paying job with an airline, while things were going really well with my ex. She would come out for a week n a work trip or to see me every month or so, but after almost another year together, and my ex and I were talking about marriage, her father gave her an ultimatum: either me, or her family. Her entire family approved of me, except her father. At the end of the day, she chose her family.

By the end of 2022 and into 2023, I changed the airline I worked for a few times, trying to find the right fit, but not finding what I was looking for. Near the end of the summer, I finally found something. And by the end of the year, I got promoted. Instead of moving your bags around the airport and onto / off of the airplane, I got a promotion into what was essentially a supervisor role without the powers, making sure everything got loaded and was where it was supposed to be.

In 2024, things were going really welll for me. I was working a lot, enjoying my time. I even bought a motorcycle. I didn't get to ride as much as I wanted to, since work started at 5am for me, and I didn't exactly want to drive my motorcycle while I was still sleeping, especially through Washington D.C., even if there wasn't any traffic.
On Memorial Day Weekend, I joined my first big group ride. There were about 4,000 bikes or so in the Rolling to Remember ride. As the ride was ending, I was getting ready to head to work to do some overtime, and help out my coworkers. I ended up gettnig run over on the Interstate. https://www.arlnow.com/2024/05/28/video-falls-church-man-charged-with-hit-and-run-that-seriously-hurt-motorcyclist/ I ended up breaking 3 veterbrea in my back, and reaggrivating some old injuries from the military. Thankfully, I didn't lose consiousness, but the accident kept me out of work for almost a month and a half, and it really messed with my mental state. By the end of the year, I had lost my job.
In 2024, while I was still bed ridden, about a week after the accident, something amazing happened. I got a notification that somebody actually swiped right on me on Bumble, a dating app. I checked out her profile, swiped right as well, and we stated talking. After a week or so, I asked her out, and we went on our first date, while I was still in a back brace, and was hobbling around. Things went well, so we went on a few more dates, and then started to actually call ourselves a couple. While things were difficult, with her being from Bangladesh and being a Muslim, and me being an American and Christian, we made it work. And by the end of the year, we were engaged, and I had gotten a new job, finally working for the government like I had been striving towards for a few years.

In 2025, we got married on Valentine's Day. We are doing really well. I've been unwell since we got married, due to a sinus infection that has caused some issues, but I'm maing it through and getting treatment. My dogs, now 8.5 years and 7 years, love their new Mom. I'm not too sure what is going on with my job due to the political climate and everything going on, but we are hopeful I will be okay.
We are planning on moving to Virginia when our lease is up in September to get a bigger and cheaper place than my studio we are in now.

Photos link of my wedding and honeymoon: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=dcm7734&set=a.9733226483405055

Life has been a roller coaster the last 5 years, with lots of ups and downs, but I'm hopefully that the ride almost over, and I will be able to walk around the park soon.
I wanted this post to be a bit more detailed, but I got some other things I need to take care of before we go out this afternoon, so this will have to do for now. I'm always willing to answer questions, and will try to be a little bit more active in the future, rather than just a lurker, refreshing the page every day.

Holy crap! Congrats on getting married and wow to most of the rest of the thread. That's a pretty interesting few years.

I don't think I really have questions for you. More blown away that you've come back. It's nice to see some of the older members return even if for just a little while.

geeogree : I was surprised to see that zanderlex had liked the post, yet not replied. And then you reply?
You're right: it is nice to see the "Old Guard" pop in from time to time.

thing1 : yeah. Time seems to have mellowed me a lot. I remember really disliking you back in the day and now I can't really remember why. I'm sure there was some reason I had but honestly it all feels so stupid and childish.

I'm just glad this place still exists even if many of us disappear for months between posts.

What a comeback thread this was, truly full of ups and downs but happily with a good ending (even if the future is highly uncertain given the circumstances).

I always thought that people get married way too quickly. Like, it's a heavy decision to take because it means a lot of time of your future, yet you decide to go ahead with a person you might not yet still know in full? How many relationships get strained after a few years of being together, even if not living together? And still, people talk about marrying a person they've been dating for a few months, and known for barely a year.

However, I now know why would people go down so harshly. Me and my girlfriend will celebrate 10 months together, the last one living together fully, and I already think of marriage and even the crazy idea of creating a family (something I currently can't do for various reasons). Maybe she's truly the one I needed to find, maybe I'm older and wiser, maybe I want to settle down with her... I don't know the exact answer.

I did try Bumble too a couple years ago. I like how it works and how it's less fancy-showing compared to other similar apps, definitely the one to recommend (even if I had no success there xD). And it's always kind of magic to hear how it can lead together two people who otherwise probably would have never met, even if they lived actually close by.

I hope things continue to go well for you too, and that the moving in five months to your new home goes smooth.