Blind Date.

It's Tuesday morning 3am. There's a pothole in the street outside my apartment window which insists on making the loudest thump every time a car drives over it. In Brooklyn.. that's quite a few times. I thought I'd adjusted to it by now but for some reason on this particular morning I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. I checked my email on my new phone that actually has internet since my computer is about to die and my last phone not only didn’t have internet (once a luxury of the age now a small necessity) wound up in the back of either a. a cab b. matchless bar's bathroom c. enid's bar's bathroom (apparently I have to pee a lot?) d. the bodega across the street fittingly named "God Bless Deli" where I supposedly made my pilgrimage to purchase a bag of chips with no money (they enlightened me to this fact the following morning when I returned to ask if I owed them money/ left behind my phone). So I ended up begrudgingly buying a new phone ... with internet.. and a bunch of other shit that is completely unnecessary.

Sidenote, a lovely friend of mine knew of my plight so when the nice little Verizon man was showing me how to operate this new phone he decided to show me how to check my texts.. thank you to the friend of mine who thought it would be hilarious to text "I don’t think we can hang out anymore, you're violent masturbation at night really freaks me out"... GAH! That really gave that man a scare.. After 5 minutes I decided to quit trying to explain why my friend thought it was funny to whomever it might be that actually had found my lost phone. Verizon man... not amused. Mildly terrified (or perhaps turned on?) at the potential nympho he was "helping out". eek.

Back to middle of the night. 3am. cant sleep. potholes. internet.. ok . so. checking my email... Facebook msg received 2am from Ben Morris.. Ben Morris. Ben Morris.. Ben Morris. I ran through my mental rolodex trying to figure out where had I heard this name? I knew only a few Ben's and the only Morris I knew was a Josh Morris; a middle school heartthrob and I was pretty sure the last time I spoke to him was when I was maybe eight years old, he was best friends with my cousin Jesse, we were all playing softball.. baseball? What the hell's the difference? (i was catcher) and someone was batting and when they HUCKED the bat back I got slammed in the face. Thank god no permanent damage was done.

No, this was Ben Morris, a guy I met briefly at my friend Hunter’s wedding in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I decided to make friends with Maker’s Mark on the rocks who in turn introduced me to a slew of dance partners. My friend Sarah (the groom’s sister) came up to me and said she told every one of her cousins (in the South, I believe this is a lot) to ask me to dance. After my 7th pity dance I remembered a particularly attractive guy asking me to dance and then mentioning he was Sarah’s cousin which I then launched into a “if Sarah put you up to this…” tirade as he stood there staring at me completely confused (I should really know when to put my foot in my mouth). So I think we may have danced, not sure I even introduced myself and that was it, never even caught his name.

One month later it’s 3am and I read this message:

Ben Morris November 8, 2010 at 2:22am
Hey Meddy, This is probably the most random message you've ever gotten, and just like dancing at hunters wedding, no, Sarah did not put me up to it. I leave for Playa De Maderas on the pacific side of Nicaragua with six buddies and three girls this Sunday to surf for a week. Originally it was five dudes, five girls, and due to many different circumstances, (my gf cheated on me for one), we have changed to six guys and three girls. We've got a house on the beach thats paid for, and an empty spot that will go to waste.....unless we can round up a surfer in the next five days. Obviously we don't even know each other and obviously no expectations/obligations, I don't know if you have a BF/significant other that would object, and I'm sure you have to work. But on the off chance you have a flexible schedule, want to go surf for a week, get sunburned, day drink, and throw some adventure into your life.....I'll buy you a ticket and take you on the best blind date of your life. If not, no worries, I hope our paths cross one day in the future. -Ben

…I literally had one of those movie moments when you rub your eyes and blink really hard and wonder if this is some sort of joke? I have two internships and I waitress, I am not even sure how I am going to pay rent next month, this trip is in 4 days, I couldn’t go to Nicaragua for a week… or could I? Why wouldn’t I go? Isn’t crazy shit like this what life is all about? And how many people could I beat in a blind date story telling contest??? (those exist.. and they happen.. all the time..) So I wrote Ben back.


Meddy Hurd November 9, 2010 at 4:37am
Ben, Wow. First of all I am really sorry to hear about your gf. Things like that are really brutal, So I am really sorry that that happened. Secondly this is the most amazing message/offer. And hopefully you aren't regretting (drunk?) in the morning (I am slightly serious slightly joking) so if you decide this morning you would like to pretend you didnt offer I TOTALLY understand. Ha. However, to be honest... I don't know what the expectations or requirements are on the surfing side.. I have surfed before but am still pretty beginner so on that front I don't want to hold any of you back. Not sure how expert this trip might actually all be. I live in New York City and work 2 internships and waitress that I wouldnt mind taking off. I don't have a bf. I am slightly low on cash and I normally hate the idea of someone paying for me for anything let alone a plane ticket and place to stay. So typically I would really insist that you not pay for me, But to be honest a trip to Nicaragua wasnt in my November budget. However, I love the beach, new people, and totally random opportunities so if you are still looking for another person I am pretty down. I can check with my boss' (all of them. ha) tomorrow and give you a more definitive answer on the phone. Again, if you wake up and decide what was I thinking inviting this girl who writes a long ridiculous email at 4 am, sober, whom you dont even know and who actually wants to come haha... honestly NO WORRIES. And I still seriously feel uneasy about you paying.. I dont like that but if you really have sorted things out and just kinda have a spot going to waste I truly appreciate just being offered. So with all of that said (sorry to be long winded) Yeah. Id really like to come. I will give you a call tomorrow.


I decided I would tell my internships and see what they say and if I they said ok, then I would go, and as for my waitressing job… well.. I had to bend the truth on that one. So the next day I asked and they looked at me like I was crazy,

My Boss: So, you don’t even know this guy and you are going into the middle of no where Nicaragua for a week?
Me: Uh. Yah.. so is that going to be ok? Like me leaving for a few days and not being here to work? Because I totally understand this is completely last minute.
My Boss: Last minute? I think that should be the least of your worries. I mean I can’t tell you you can’t go but please just call your mother and think this through again.
Me: Ok.. but so you’re saying its ok for me to take the week off right?
My Boss: Christ Meredith, I mean… How much grey hair have you given your mother?! Just please promise me you will call your mother when you get there. And then email me.

So that was that, I was going. So what exactly did I know about Ben Morris? Well I had concluded from sufficient facebook stalking and a few phone conversations before our departure that Ben Morris was cute, he formerly attended Washington and Lee University where he played lacrosse, he enjoyed duck hunting on the weekends and made his own moon shine, he was currently employed on a “Southern Gentleman’s Farm” (I don’t know what this is really, but anything with the words “southern” and “gentleman” … I am sold.) So I threw as many bathing suits in a backpack and flew from NYC to Miami to meet Ben and his friends.