our story
Ian and Christina met when they were first-year students at the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Christina lived down the hall from two of Ian's friends from high school in Moncton, New Brunswick, and they introduced her to their quiet friend named Ian.
"I do remember being introduced to Ian, although I don't know if he actually said anything to me that day, or for a while," says Christina.
In contrast, Ian remembers noticing Christina before they were even introduced. "On the first day of frosh week, I remember seeing her across the crowd in the dining hall," he says. "I remember distinctly being struck by her and thinking, 'I wanna know who she is.'"
Ian doesn't remember if he said anything when they were introduced, but he is quite sure it was very little. "I remember thinking, 'Oh man, it's her, I'm actually going to meet her.' And then I probably didn't say two words, if that much."
Both Ian and Christina remember they had at least one thing in common -- a shirt. Ian says, "I remember when I first saw her she was wearing a t-shirt from Oxford University that was exactly the same as one I had."
Christina had got her t-shirt as a souvenir when visiting Oxford on a family trip in 2003. She remembers assuming he had visited Oxford too when she eagerly asked him where he got his. "He just mumbled that he got his at Frenchy's. I was mortified. I think I probably babbled a bit about how it's such a beautiful city and I'm sure he quietly listened. I don't think we said anything else to each other for weeks."
Ian had a unique style that Christina really liked. "He was always wearing vintage t-shirts with weird logos on them underneath cashmere v-neck sweaters," she recalls. "Then for Halloween, he dressed up as Fred Astaire, in his very own black tailcoat tuxedo. That's when I knew I had a crush."
Both known for their excellent timing, Ian and Christina finally got together about a week before the end of first year. They spent the summer going back and forth on the Acadian Lines bus between Halifax and Moncton. They even met up in Edinburgh in August 2005 when their families both happened to be visiting Scotland at the same time. "I used to have some pictures of us from that summer, but I can't find them now. I must have deleted them after a break-up," admits Christina.
Ian and Christina were off and on between 2005 and 2019. Over the years, regardless of whether they were "off" or "on", this introvert-extrovert pair continued to develop their connection and friendship.
The stars aligned in 2019 and Ian packed up and moved to Wolfville to live with Christina where she was building a career as a lawyer.
They now live in Wolfville with their two cats, Edie and Henry.
