jules verne

He told me that his parents wanted to meet me for dinner. How sweet, I thought. Any time after The Hive was best. They made reservations and he parlayed the information to me. Jules Verne, Charlottenberg, 7pm. He'd spent most of his childhood living around the corner. I was looking forward to seeing his old neighborhood and getting to know him better through his parents.

It wasn't until I was on my way there, following my afternoon with Lauren, that I realized how delicate of a situation it was. I'd only met them once on Easter weekend. "What if it's awkward?" "What if they don''t like the way I respond to their questions?" "Why didn't any of this occur to me when I first agreed to have dinner with my boyfriend's parents?" All these worries (and more) ran through my head. I didn't feel my absolute best, I was in an unfamiliar place, and I wasn't as punctual as I'd hoped I'd be either...

But, the dinner was spectacular. They were happy to see me as we walked in together. The owner greeted them (they've known him for years), and coincidentally, was familiar with where I'm from (his cousin owns a squash club nearby). He served us a German crémant upon seating. We shared a plate of hors d'oeuvre (not pictured) and a bottle of exquisite white wine. The conversation flowed seamlessly. His mom and I both ordered the stinging nettles wild trout. Then, for dessert, we split his sister's favorite: a caramelized kaiserschmarrn with plum compote and vanilla-bourbon ice cream, with another German wine tasting.

It went so well, they offered to spend the following afternoon with me. Granted they were my boyfriend's parents so they were likely more inclined to be hospitable than the average person I didn't know very well... but still; the dinner could have been a lot less wonderful. Once again, experience has encouraged me to keep exploring and taking chances on meetings (and meals) like this one. The most heartwarming memories are truly made in possibilities. And for that, I will always be grateful.