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Honeymoon Sail After Internet Courtship
Real Travel Adventures International Magazine
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Honeymoon Sail After Internet Courtship
by Joe and Pam Miller
After finding each other on the Internet, Joe and Pam celebrated their wedding with an exciting honeymoon to Mexico’s exotic “Isle of Women” before settling into their new home – a 50 foot sailboat….Before discovering eHarmony, neither Pam nor Joe considered joining an Internet dating service. Pam had heard about eHarmony while listening to a Focus on the Family radio interview that featured the company’s founder, Dr. Neil Clark Warren, and the premise of the eHarmony matching system made the idea of Internet dating more appealing to her. Instead of matching couples on superficial criteria as with many internet dating sites, eHarmony’s matches are based on a proven set of scientific compatibility principles, such as values, background, beliefs, and personality, as well as interests. After some deliberation, Pam decided to join eHarmony based on the credibility of Dr. Warren, and the in-depth psychological profiling that helps match people who have a high chance of being compatible with one another.
One of Joe’s friends had convinced him that he was too unique to find “someone just anywhere” and suggested signing up for eHarmony’s services. After about a year of persuasion, Joe finally researched the website and decided to take the personality assessment test. Uncertain of how long it would take to find his perfect match, Joe signed up for a year membership at eHarmony, and 8 weeks later, Pam showed up as a highly compatible match. Upon communicating via email and then phone, the two quickly realized they had so much in common and felt comfortable enough with one another that they decided to meet right away.
Four days later Pam and Joe met face to face for the first time and the two feel that it was close to love at first sight. Joe proposed on November 1, 2003 and they were married on Valentines Day, 2004.
Joe and Pam designed their rings and wrote the ceremony together. They were married in Hillsboro, Oregon, in front of 200 friends and family members. A stretch limo picked them up after the ceremony and took them to the airport, where they flew to Los Angeles and spent their wedding night at the Marriot Hotel overlooking Marina Del Rey Harbor. Joe thought this would be appropriate since Pam had agreed to join him in living on his 50 foot sailboat upon returning from their honeymoon.
The next day, Joe and Pam flew first class to Cancun, Mexico for their honeymoon, and upon their arrival, took a ferry to Isla Mujeres, literally translated as the “Island of Women,” because as legend says, when it was discovered there were several statues of women on the island. Isla Mujeres, only 4.5 miles long and 0.4 miles wide, is the most eastern point of Mexico in the Caribbean Sea. They stayed at the Avalon Reef Resort, built on a reef on the island shore and accessed by a single wooden bridge. The all inclusive package included meals, drinks and a variety of activities. Isla Mujeres is known for its artisans and is one of the best places in Mexico to buy gems and specially designed jewelry. Joe designed truly unique earrings for Pam to help her remember “port” and “starboard” – fundamental terms to learn when living on a boat! He had a half carat emerald set to represent starboard and a ruby for port. To add a little more flair, he had a local jeweler design a representation of el Faro, a famous light house on Isla Mujeres that could dangle from the port and starboard “lights”.
Besides shopping on Isla Mujeres, Joe took Pam to el Garrafon, a national underwater park on the north end of the island, where Pam enjoyed her first snorkeling experience in the Caribbean. Joe was very pleased with Pam's interest in diving and snorkeling and her ability to adapt to being in the water. Joe had been a commercial diver previously and had always loved the water. The newlyweds hoped their love of adventure and extreme sports would be another "tie that binds" their hearts and lives together.
The couple also took an excursion to Chitza Itza on the Yucatan peninsula, where they climbed Mexico’s most acclaimed Zigarot and explored the ancient Mayan ruins. Pam, a climbing enthusiast, knew Joe was familiar with ropes and knots from sailing and dive work, but wasn't sure how he'd take to rock climbing. Upon her decent, Pam was surprised that Joe quickly raced down the steep uneven steps, past a few fearful and unsteady individuals, to take a picture of her. Joe seemed more at ease going down the Zigarot than she did!
On the return trip, they stayed again at Marina del Rey, but this time at the Ritz Carlton near one of Joe’s favorite restaurants, “The Warehouse,” where spectators take in an extraordinary view of the boats while enjoying their Sunday Champagne brunch. Joe and Pam flew back to Portland to conclude their trip, but hoped the honeymoon would never end. Their dream is to someday sail around the world, but they feel that meeting each other, falling in love, and getting married has already been a great adventure in itself.
Today, Joe and Pam live aboard their 50 foot yacht moored in a Washington port with the Olympic Mountains to the west and the Cascade Range to the east and a view of some beautiful islands.
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