It Happened In Monterey (Or, How We Met)


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Last Updated on December 17, 2019 by Audrey Scott

This is a story about finding love just when you'd sworn off looking for it.

In early September, Audrey and I co-presented at a conference in Monterey, California. Monterey just also happens to be the place where we'd first met almost exactly 15 years before, where our joint approach to life on the road got its start.

In the driveway, the exact spot where our lives together began, we got to thinking how best to answer another oft-asked question: “So how did you guys meet?”

How we met in Monterey, California
The driveway in Monterey where it all began, 15 years later.

This is the story, roughly and in brief, like we might tell it at a bar. His and hers, back and forth, crumpled unlined notepad paper, speckled with red wine. History, revision, and an occasional differing point of view.


Dan: As I walked down the street vaguely wine-addled, I witnessed two young women emptying a small car of a large pile of worldly collegiate possessions. One of the women looked up. She took a long gaze at me, then dropped her bags, her breath apparently taken away. Her name was Audrey.

For her, this was love at first sight.


Audrey: Imagine that scratching sound where the record-player needle gets pulled across the record. Let’s reintroduce ourselves to the truth.


Dan: You want the whole truth? OK. So much for keeping this short.

It was August 1997. I had been living in San Francisco in a jaggy one bedroom, 495 square foot apartment. To its miniature defense, the building had a hot tub on the roof and featured a full view of the Golden Gate Bridge and a sliver view of the Bay Bridge.

I shared this abundant abode with my friend Tony. I drove a VW Cabriolet. I was told nickel-for-a-rich-man-so-many-times that my hair made me look like Flock of Seagulls. So basically, I rolled with a circa mid-1980s look. But I could cook, sort of. I drank wine, and not just white zinfandel. I wore double-breasted suits with suspenders to meetings with clients and somehow thought that was appropriate.

I was dating. Women. A few of them. I was a management consultant and spent a lot of time on the road. (This makes me sound like I think I was a player. I was not. I was simply confused.) Anyhow, by mid-August of that year I had sworn off dating for an indefinite spell, if only to clear my head. No more dating, at least not for a while.

Then something happened.

I got a phone call from a friend. (Or was it an email?)

You want to come down and meet me in Monterey? I’m headed back for a couple of weeks.” An elementary school friend then stationed in the U.S. Army in Korea had planned a visit back to Monterey, California to see his girlfriend.

Monterey. Friends. Weekend. A free place to crash. Tony and I could take a drive down the coast, tool around the area, and hit the Monterey Wine Festival.

Sure. Why not?

It was an unusual Monterey weekend. While a bit of fog graced the peninsula that morning, it burned off early. And with the Monterey Wine Festival underway — something that Tony and I would take advantage of from about the time doors opened around noon — a perfect day was served.

After a few oysters, tapas and a dose of mid-afternoon wine tasting-qua-guzzling, we opted to head back to the apartment for a recovery nap.

I cut my way down the street, probably feeling cool, but looking much less, haphazardish. There were two young women, a little sun beat, emptying crates and bags from a scrappy, well-worn gray Volkswagen Golf GTI.

As Tony and I approached, he suggested that we might help the young women unpack their car. Their destination: the same house where we’d slept the night before. Points to Tony for chivalry in time.

Hmmm. This could get interesting. Who needs to swear off women for a while, anyway?


Audrey: I had just driven across the United States, a 3,000 mile road trip from Virginia with a close friend, in my 10-year old VW GTI. “California, here I come!” I felt. Living in California, graduate school, Peace Corps. Three life goals coming together within a year.

Road Trip Volkswagon

Me and my GTI, the final leg cross-country, up the Big Sur coast.

Boys would play no part in it. Nope. This was going to be my year.

So I laughed when my housemate’s boyfriend, Tom, half jokingly warned me of his friends visiting from San Francisco: “They’re trawling for women.”

As I began unloading my life from the car, I heard offers of help ring from the foot of the driveway. Two guys, a little worse for wear from the sun and fun, introduced themselves and quickly joined in to help carry my stuff.

Dan’s memory of my being struck by love? Perhaps a misread of my amusement: How eager these two guys were to help. A little too eager I’d say.


Dan: Ouch.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was a bit of a haze. There was interest, some jockeying. We went to a local pub en group, returned home, and continued to chat. Audrey put away, rather impressively, a few Boddington Ales.

As everyone else peeled off to sleep, Audrey and I stayed up. I don’t recall all that we talked about, but it was apparently a lot because we were up almost the whole night. Travel was certainly part of it. I was mesmerized by Audrey's international background — from a family of diplomats and missionaries, of a life overseas. I felt like the local boy trying to figure out the world, even as I prepared for my first trip abroad to India and Indonesia that winter.

We talked economic theory, too, recovering Econ majors bound in shared nerd-dom. We even discussed the Coase theorem.

Who on earth opens a relationship by talking about the Coase theorem?!

In no way did the scene sing romance. This was not a bar out of the Frank Sinatra song, It Happened in Monterey.


Audrey: I’m good with this version of events. It was fun. Goofy, really. I didn’t think much about it. I was leaving in nine months and there was no point in meeting anyone, Economics majors or otherwise. Easy come, easy go.

Or perhaps because I was leaving in nine months I was more open to taking chances.


Dan: On my way out the door back to San Francisco, I gave Audrey my details: “Here’s our address, my cell phone.

Audrey’s friend, Sarah, was scheduled to fly out of San Francisco late the following afternoon. Their plan: to visit San Francisco and stay with Audrey’s brother. (Maybe I pulled off being cool, but I'm sure I double-checked the number at least ten times before I handed it over.)

Just in case things don’t work out with your brother and you need a place to stay.”

Come late Monday afternoon, I got the call. Rather conveniently, things hadn’t worked out with Audrey's brother, and there were Audrey and Sarah, planless and no place to stay but chez Dan and Tony.

It was also Audrey’s birthday. With Tony’s counsel, we collected provisions from an Italian deli or two in North Beach and headed out to a cliffside spot in the Presidio with a sunset view of the Golden Gate.

California picnic
Birthday picnic at the Presidio.

No impromptu birthday picnic could beat this. I’d stolen Audrey’s heart, though in reality it was pretty much Tony’s idea, so maybe he was the one doing the stealing for me. Thank goodness someone in the story used good judgment. We get by with a little help from our friends. Sing it with me.

Everything was left open-ended. No commitment to continue that either of us can remember.

But alas. The following day when Audrey took off back to Monterey, she also conveniently left behind a pair of shoes. “Easy come, easy go, eh?

Eventually, she got the shoes.

And I got the girl.


Epilogue

During the weekends that followed, we jumped out of an airplane at over 15,000 feet, hiked together in Yosemite, and earned our scuba diving certifications in the uncomfortably cold waters of Monterey Bay.

A couple months later, I left for my first trip outside of North America to India and Australia (hence, the scuba diving classes). Audrey left several months later for the Peace Corps, which would take her away to Estonia for 27 months.

Time was short. When we think back, we feel like we squeezed every ounce of experience out of those first few months together.

This was how we — and our approach to life — came together in those early days.

Nowadays, we spend 24×7 with each other. For the behind the scenes on that story, you’ll just have to wait for another post.

Route 1 Northern California
How about another 15 years?
About Daniel Noll
Travel and life evangelist. Writer, speaker, storyteller and consultant. Connecting people to experiences that will change their lives. Originally from the U.S. Daniel has lived abroad since 2001 and most recently has been on the road since 2006. When he's not writing for the blog you can keep up with his adventures on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And you can learn more about him on the About Page and on LinkedIn.

42 thoughts on “It Happened In Monterey (Or, How We Met)”

  1. OMG THIS IS SO CUTE THAT I HAVE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS EEEEE. I love this. And I totally agree. (For me at least) Love totally happens when you’re not looking.
    So glad you guys stumbled across each other so you could become the travel blogger power couple you are today.

    Reply
  2. What an awesome story – love it! So true, it always happens when you least expect it. I was already planning my departure from Argentina when I met Roberto. 😉

    Reply
  3. Great story! Also interesting to see the difference in photo quality from then until now 🙂

    Dan, when is that awesome hairstyle coming back? It’s totally boss.

    Reply
  4. Love you guys and this story. So glad you met, and keep on having interesting conversations and being great listeners! saludos from Chile!

    Reply
  5. This is cute and such an endearing story!! Ok, one does not know who is exaggerating, but who cares? The best-known-and-traveled-and-down-to-earth-and-nice couple on earth!! Yeah!! Thank God for Monterey!!

    Reply
  6. I was just thinking, this morning, how true it is when people say, “Lighting strikes when you least expect it to.” It seems, you two would support that theory.

    Thank you for sharing this with your fans. I hope in 15 years I’m writing a story not unlike this. You continue to inspire me!

    Reply
  7. What a great story of how you met. Thank you for sharing it. I find it funny how sometimes we try to tell ourselves that we are going to do something because we need to but “life” has a way to change things for us.
    You guys are awesome! Glad to have learn and meet you guys at WDS this past year! Happy travels and best wishes!

    Reply
  8. What a wonderful story! Thanks so much for sharing! I met my now husband at a bar in NYC and our first discussion centered on the history of the Russian revolution. Nerds unite!

    Reply
  9. Possibly one of the best true love stories I have ever read. Thank you for sharing this, another proof that the best things in life often comes unexpectedly 🙂 I’m definitely sharing this story to friends.

    Reply
  10. Lovely people, lovely story, heart-warming emphasis on love and romance and whimsy. Wishing you all the happiness in the world… and all the shared adventures too!

    Reply
  11. I wonder where Tony is now. With all the help he’s done being matchmaker, wonder if he’s got a girl himself. Lol! But seriously, destiny truly has its way of making things happen. Cheers to another 15 years of your relationship!

    Reply
  12. What a wonderful story. Larissa and I met in a bar which isn’t quite as romantic, but it’s worked out for 26 years so far.

    Cheers,

    Michael

    Reply
  13. Hi everyone. Thanks for the comments and compliments. A handful of individual responses below:

    @Steph: We figured this might resonate with you guys!

    @Eileen: And to you. I think we owe you a phone call.

    @Sasha:

    @Sutapa: A little exaggeration never hurt anyone, did it?

    @Oliver: LIfe has a way, so true. Glad we met at WDS, too!

    @Kyle: When is that hairstyle coming back? Maybe the question to ask is “When is the *hair* coming back?”

    @Matt: I became a travel blogger.

    @cosmo: Nerds unite!

    @Kay: We’re working on it! Know any producers we can talk to?

    @Ava: Thanks, and to you. Bicycle!

    @Veny: Glad you liked it. Maybe this oddball story of how we got engaged might also strike a chord:
    https://uncorneredmarket.com/i-drove-to-the-ends-of-earth-marriage-proposal/

    @Jeremy: Tony deserves kudos. He’ll even tell you that himself.

    @Kieu: A cup of sake — on a Tokyo stoop, no less!

    @Roxanne: Thanks!

    @Kent: Easy does it. I know the stories of which you speak.

    @Alex: He’s out there. We’re all good friends. I expected him to chime in, correct and rewrite this piece to reflect the closer truth. One of these days.

    @Michael: In a bar, on the street. Whatever works to find the people we need to meet.

    Reply
  14. Super cute! The two of you are great together. I’m impressed you managed to keep it together while Audrey was serving in the Peace Corps. I know a lot of people who fell out of relationships during their service.

    Reply
  15. That’s a long story to tell. It has been many years and you’ve maintained that friendship. I wish you’ll be long time friends forever.

    Reply
  16. Coase Theorem?? You guys have proven the theory 🙂 – an efficient relationship that have traveled millions of steps and stretched across the globe. Nice story

    Reply
  17. I echo all of the sentiments here and say this is just about the cutest story ever. And I love the cadence of you two batting things back and forth. I feel like you should do video re-counts of some of your travel stories … that could be so fun to watch! 🙂

    Reply
  18. Lovely! So good to hear te beggining of wonderful love stories…You two made my sunday night happier.
    May many happy years go by!
    Hugs for you both.

    Reply
  19. Hi! Loved reading about your romance! All the best to both of you! I love Monterey too. I like Monterey. And Carmel! I like SF too. Great places. Chiao.
    Sri

    Reply
  20. Adorable story you two! Thanks for spilling the beans. Dan, it’s a good think you had that friend to give you pointers & that Audrey left her shoes behind. Congratulations on the milestone!

    Reply
  21. @JoAnna: Keeping it together while Audrey was in Peace Corps was difficult, but what helped was the combination of internet (still young then), cheap calling cards (I still spent a fortune on phone call), and good old-fashioned letters, which we will still have somewhere in storage.

    @Sally: Thanks.

    @Yahya: Your comments always make us smile.

    @Shannon: I think it’s time for the Dan and Audrey weekly travel show. Or maybe, the “state of Dan and Audrey and their relationship” show.

    @Peter: Thanks.

    @Emilia: Thanks, and hugs back at you!

    @Srilekha: Thank you. Ah, Carmel. We remember more than our share of drives, walks and hikes around there. I also remember a beautiful hotel/bar with great views and Bloody Marys.

    @Bessie: Thanks! We always give thanks to friends and fate. Where would we be without them?

    Reply
  22. Awww I enjoyed reading that story. Oft is the case when you are least looking for love it comes up and bites you on the behind. Thanks for sharing, it made me smile.

    Reply
  23. @Jessie: Glad you enjoyed it! Indeed, when we’re least looking, that’s when it bites. If only we could trust in that more often. Alas, we are human.

    Reply
  24. Aww such a sweet story, love is just around the corner, it’s unplanned and everything just happen when least expected. i love your story. I met my partner in an online game hee hee

    Reply
  25. What a fabulous story!! I am about giving up on love (and I’m traveling now, sooooo… maybe there is something in the cards)

    Reply
    • Glad you enjoyed our story, Yumi! Well, if you do decide to give up on love then find someone just afterwards, let us know 🙂

      Reply

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