We just want to share our story with you of how the best things can happen when you least expect them. When both of us booked our cruises individually, neither one of us expected to meet our life partner. In fact, we were both wondering if that person really existed at all.
Bill's story...
At the time of my very first cruise aboard the Norwegian Epic during Christmas 2013 with my family, I was resigned to the cruise being a once in a lifetime experience. I had such a wonderful time aboard the Epic that I had become addicted to the cruising lifestyle and it was then I decided to make a cruise an annual event. While on the Epic, I learned about the Studio cabins and special activities for solo travelers. With my 50th birthday coming up, I decided to use my income tax refund to book one of these Studio cabins. When I embarked on my very first solo cruise on 25 July 2015 aboard the Norwegian Getaway, all I wanted to do was to celebrate my 50th birthday in a very special way.
I first learned about Heather when I logged onto the Roll Call thread on Cruise Critic. Each of us were regular contributors to this particular thread. We have so much in common that I knew I had to meet her once we were all on board. When we first met in the Studio Lounge on Embarkation Day, during an informal gathering of my fellow solo travelers immediately after the Muster Drill, I was not to be disappointed.
It turned out that I was to host the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet with the Officers on our first sea day. This gathering was my very first Meet & Greet so I had no idea what to expect. Heather and I had such a great time that we produced our very first video project together, which is now available on YouTube.
Heather's story...
When I initially made my vacation plans for the last week of July 2015, I was planning on driving to another state to see some friends and celebrate my 43rd birthday with them. About three weeks before I was to leave on my road trip, those plans fell through, leaving me wondering what to do for a vacation. The first thing that popped into my mind was a cruise--definitely the ideal way to spend a birthday. Having been on 3 cruises with my now ex-husband, I was no stranger to cruising. The first of those cruises was on the Norwegian Sun in January 2003. While I enjoyed it, the husband wasn't crazy about it, so the next two cruises were on another line before he and I eventually split up. I wanted to give NCL another try and the solo cabins appealed to me, so I booked one exactly 3 weeks to the day before sailing. I was really looking forward to a week of rest, relaxation, and fun.
Bill actually came onto my radar before we left Miami on July 25th. Shortly after booking the cruise, I logged onto Cruise Critic and found the Roll Call thread for the July 25th sailing of the Getaway and I introduced myself. As I was scrolling through the posts, I noticed that he had been posting fairly frequently. I was totally intrigued by what this man had to say. I knew I had to meet him once we were all on board. The informal meeting of the solo travelers in the Studio Lounge after the muster drill on embarkation day would be the perfect opportunity.
We finally meet...
Within a matter of a few short hours of boarding the Getaway, we met in the Studio Lounge and we totally hit it off. We became so engrossed in conversation with each other that we completely missed the Sailaway Party. After our first dinner date in the Garden Café that evening, we went up to the Freestyle Sun Deck on Deck 18. It was there, under a starry sky on a sultry night at sea, that we shared our first kiss at the front of the ship in accordance with maritime tradition. Since that fateful first night, with the exception of a couple of separately booked shore excursions, we were practically inseparable.
Upon learning that our birthdays were two days apart from each other, we celebrated our respective birthdays together with two very romantic dinners at the Taste, complete with an ocean view table which set the perfect atmosphere. Returning to our respective cabins only to find birthday decorations on the wall and various treats on our beds was certainly an unforgettable experience. What a great birthday celebration it was for both of us!
The next 4 months saw a developing long-distance relationship where we would visit each other for 4 days each month and talk on the phone for about 2 hours every night. Thank Verizon Wireless for unlimited talk and text! She would fly from Orlando to Chicago one month and I would fly down from Chicago to Orlando the next month. On my first visit to Gainesville, I proposed to Heather...and she accepted! I presented her with her engagement ring when she flew up for Thanksgiving Weekend. My mother and my sister threw her a surprise bridal shower while I was at work. Just a few days after Christmas, I resigned from my job as a General Manager at a Papa John's Pizza restaurant near Chicago, packed up my car, and moved out of my parents' house down to Heather's apartment in Gainesville, staying over at her parents' house in southern Tennessee along the way.
To make a long story short, we had converted our reservations for two separate Studio cabins to an interior cabin for what will now be our Honeymoon Cruise aboard the Norwegian Escape for the sailing on 23 July 2016. We married in a civil ceremony on 8 January 2016 at the Alachua County Civil Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida. Having met each other aboard the Getaway, we promised each other that we would take a cruise every year. This is one promise that we are determined to keep.
We have recently returned to Facebook, but we are also active on Twitter (with the handles @WDLawless1, @Heatherdw20, and @LawlessWaters). I recently attended an orientation session at CARD, primarily for parents of children on the spectrum, at the University of Florida. After listening to the staff presentations and the stories of the parents, I thought the time was right to share my own story about life on the spectrum and my recent marriage to Heather, as well as my avid desire to offer whatever assistance I can provide to CARD and to the autistic community at large. I would absolutely love to make a new career writing and speaking about autism-related subjects from a personal perspective. While a limited amount of research is available regarding relationships where one partner is on the spectrum, I have yet to find any research at all regarding relationships where both partners are on the spectrum...like us.
When not working as a Delivery Expert at Domino's or as a driver for Uber in Gainesville, I enjoy working out at the gym, traveling, writing, music, and hanging out with Heather. I also play keyboards and guitars in the worship band at Harvest Christian Church. Self-improvement has become my new focused obsession, in the form of daily workouts, adding Ballroom Dance classes, Etiquette classes, Dress for Success classes, Toastmasters meetings, and Leadership Development classes as out time and finances permit. Once I work out all the details, I would like to create a Lifestyle Enhancement Program from these components. I am also working on a proposal for the creation of a special housing unit at UF for students on the spectrum, which would ideally be a converted fraternity/sorority house on campus.
