💌 From Pushups to Soulmates

How Cody and I Met

Every couple has their “how we met” story. Some are picture-perfect fairytales. Ours? It started with freezing barracks, pushups in front of a crowd, and a whole lot of teenage butterflies.

Fort Eustis, Summer of 2009

It was the summer of 2009 at JROTC Army camp, and I showed up at Fort Eustis wildly unprepared. Thanks to a miscommunication, I didn’t bring blankets. The barracks felt like Antarctica, and I spent my first nights wrapped up in my uniform, shivering like a popsicle in camo.

To make things worse, I was late to formation the next morning. My punishment? Pushups in front of everyone with my battle buddy. Nothing says “welcome to camp” quite like sweating it out while an entire platoon watches. Unbeknownst to me, this was the very moment Cody first laid eyes on me. Romantic, right?

The Rappelling Tower That Wasn’t

I didn’t notice him until later. We were supposed to rappel, but the tower was broken, so we sat around under this tunnel building thing waiting for the command staff to figure it out. That’s when I finally saw Cody for the first time. He had that mix of confidence and boyish charm that made me all giddy inside.

We were teenagers, but sparks flew instantly. We got introduced, and soon we were slipping each other little notes, smiling across formation, and basically acting like we were the stars of our own camp romance movie.

Squad Rivalry and Silly Dances

On the last day of camp, we had to show off what we’d learned in squad drill—marching, left face, right face, the whole show. Cody and I ended up competing against each other. My squad won. (Yes, I brag about it to this day.) Cody wasn’t thrilled, but he didn’t hold it against me.

That night there was a dance, and while everyone else was slow dancing or trying to look cool, we went full-on goofy. We broke out the “sprinkler,” the “shopping cart,” and even the “tissue.” Forget romance movie vibes—we were more like a comedy special, and it was perfect.

When camp ended, reality showed up fast. We lived two hours apart. And to make things complicated, I technically had a boyfriend back home. When Cody leaned in to kiss me goodbye, I turned my head. He kissed my cheek instead—sweet, respectful, and honestly unforgettable.

What I didn’t realize was that I had just met my soulmate.

Letters, Roller Coasters, and Our First Kiss

Back home, Cody and I kept in touch through handwritten letters (yes, actual paper letters like it was the 1800s). Eventually, the relationship I was in ended, and Cody and I finally had our chance.

We planned a day at Kings Dominion, meeting halfway between us. That day was pure magic. Cody managed to get me on the Drop Zone, a ride I swore I’d never touch. As we climbed higher and higher, he distracted me by telling me to pretend the people below were ants and squish them with my fingers. I laughed so hard I forgot to be scared. After that, I rode every ride with him.

And then came the moment—the first kiss. We were sitting on a rock across from the ride Tomb Raider. I rested my head on his shoulder, looked up, and we kissed. Sweet, simple, romantic. And after that? We kissed everywhere: in tunnels, in the photo booth, by the rides. It was like the world around us disappeared and we were in our own little bubble.

When Reality Kicked In

But as much as we wanted the fairytale to continue, life had other plans. School started back up, and the two-hour distance felt impossible. After a couple weeks, we broke up. We stayed friends for a while, but as time went on, even that faded.

Still, the story didn’t end there. Because years later, life brought us back together. But that’s a story for another time.

✨ Final Peck of WisdomSometimes love doesn’t look perfect at first. Sometimes it starts with freezing barracks, embarrassing pushups, goofy dances, and teenage nerves. But those little moments can turn into something bigger than you could ever imagine.

Back in 2009, I thought I was just leaving summer camp with a funny story. Instead, I left with the beginning of my forever. 💕

If you want to hear more about me and Cody’s story, be sure to join the flock—the best way to stay in the loop and get notified when future blogs hatch. 🐥