It took $121 to fall in love.

Meet Emily. My real-life BFF, Emily and her husband live in DC, where they save the world on a daily basis. She and I found this great post from one of my very favorite finance blogs, and loved the story so much we decided to tell our own in a guest swap! Enjoy Emily and Ryan's story below, and don't forget to check out my story here. (Click here, here, and here to see other Romance Tuesday posts)

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Hello Gorgeous - $60

It takes eight days of camping to secure tickets to our rival football game, and I was determined to try it in the Fall of 2007. I contributed $60 to our tent fund, and a few of my college girl friends and I bought the biggest tent we could find.

The only problem was that we had no guys to join us. After combing through my phonebook, I called an acquaintance, V, whom I had met in the summer and had promised to hang out with me at some point. Did he want to muster as many guys as he could for a week of camping with girls? YES!

We had a blast: three tents connected with string lights, two couches, a television with guitar hero, a cooler, table, and barbecue pit. One person stayed with the tents at all times during the day, while everyone went to their classes. At night, we talked, played games, made food, and made new friends

One night,  I was walking back to my tent from dancing in a new hot dress. It was lucky too, because that is when I caught Ryan's eye. 

It took me about half a second to realize I did not want to go anywhere near his table. He was gorgeous. Everything about him was handsome. His eyes, his smile, his chin, his arms... He was way out of my league. As I wrote in my journal, his smile made the sun rise on the horizon. There was no way I was going to blush all evening, talking like a bubbling fool. I had to find a way not to sit near him.

Fortunately, there was only one seat open, and it was next to him.

Needless to say, we did not stop talking. So much so, that Ryan procrastinated a paper the next night and came back to see me. 

Movie Night - $16

We did not talk again until Thanksgiving, but when we did my heart started thumping. Ryan invited me to his graduate school's screening of Charlie Wilson's War, and one of his professors spoke about his work with Charlie Wilson. What's funny is that this nerdiliciousness very much represents many of our early conversations ranging from foreign relations to faith.

Dancing & Dominoes - $45

The semester was ending and Ryan and I had yet to really clarify whether we were "hanging out" or actually dating. Then, he asked me to go dancing with him.

That meant one thing: I needed an outfit. L and L and J and I spent hours perusing clothing racks for the perfect outfit. I didn't normally dress up that much for a date, but this one was different. $30

Then, I met him up at the Dixie Chicken (my parents used to go there on dates in college) and a few of his roommates were with him. They looked at me quizzically when I approached their table: "Emily, good to see you! What are you doing here?" When I answered, "I am here with Ryan," they awkwardly exchanged OOOOOOOOOOOO's and I SEEEEEEEEE's. We, of course, blushed and giggled, but then proceeded to tear up the table at a dominos game of 42. $15

Later that evening, we did in fact go dancing with some friends. Ryan goofily taught me how to juggle, and insisted I would do better if I looked in his eyes. The problem was that I was falling. And I could not look in his eyes without blushing.

PS That's Sarah behind the flower girl ;)

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Go visit Emily! Go! Don't wait!