Describe How You Two Originally Met.
Dawayne and I have a pretty cute story to tell. We somehow ended up as friends on Facebook years ago, but never interacted with one another at all. Like... not even once. Then one day Dawayne posed a question to his friends via a post, asking “I want to get to know you guys better... who on my friends list enjoys reading and if yes, how often?”. I responded, and went into detail about my very particular taste in novels. Turns out that he had the same taste!! I had just finished an incredible book and offered to let him borrow it, asking only for a book to borrow in return. On the night we exchanged books, we ended up talking for hours while the similarities piled up between us. Fast forward through many adventures and you’ll find us here, making this new house on the greenbelt into a home with our two sweet rescue dogs.
Describe Your First Date and/or First Memories Together
Gosh, we have so many epic memories together already, it’s tough to narrow it down. We are both fueled by the sun, and are passionate about reading and spending time outside. Our first date after we exchanged books, we met up at Quinn’s pond and went out on his paddle board together before settling in on the beach to read and bask in the sun. He took me to The Funky Taco afterwards, and on the way there my mom called and I told her where we were going. She said, with a smile in her voice, “the book guy?” and I said yes with the same smile. I had already called her to gush about him when I left his house for the exchanging of books. After our meal (which was awesome by the way), I excused myself to use the restroom. When I walked out to find him, he was standing on the corner of 8th street, beet red, talking to MY PARENTS!!!!! They were having dinner at Asiagos when I told her we were headed downtown and she decided to surprise us and say hello! Dawayne took meeting my stalker parents on the first date very well, and we have all shared a laugh about that story a few times since. He liked the fact that my mom recognized him, because he knew that meant I’d been talking about him already. And in quite a bit of detail!
Why do you love living in Boise? Describe some of your favorite things to do in Boise and/or Idaho together
We genuinely love this great state. We love spending time reading at the river or a lake or a pond on the beach, we love hiking in the mountains and hills with the dogs, we love adventuring to hot springs and different historical sights... there’s so many wonderful, beautiful places right at our fingertips, and we want to make sure we are appreciating as many of them as we can to their fullest potential. Living in Boise, we have the unique opportunity to take in some pretty incredible natural beauty every single day. Our morning walk with the dogs begins at 7:10 am, and while walking towards the greenbelt as a family, we get to see the silhouette of the mountains as the sun gets ready to peak out from behind them to wake the city. Our shared love for where we live is a huge part of the reason we fell in love with each other in the first place.
What advice do you have for those searching for love?
I’ve been writing about us while lying on the floor next to him in his office with my feet up on his lap. He’s rubbing them in between mouse clicks and sentences typed. I looked up at him and asked him this question (what advice do you have for those searching for love), and this was his response: “Look for the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, not the rest of next week.” I’m going to have to agree with that sentiment, and add that while we are not perfect, we are willing to communicate openly and honestly, and own where we each fall short. If you find someone who’s willing to do this with you, then you’ve found someone worth creating a future with.
Thank you Dawayne and Alexandra for sharing your story! Make sure to follow them on Instagram: @shattering_thenorm and @alexandrabrucemeow