Different paths lead to the same destination

   This isn’t a story about love at first sight. In fact, when Jocelyn Schlichting first caught a glimpse of Jon Hicks, it was quite the opposite.

   The two first met at a study abroad orientation meeting in the spring of 2006. Jocelyn remembers well the encounter as it was on her 18th birthday.
    Jocelyn, then a high school senior, was on the fast track to earning an accounting degree, having already taken numerous post-secondary classes while attending Sauk Rapids High School. She had been recently accepted to the College of Business at St. Cloud State University, and knew the Alnwick, England, study abroad program would allow her to gain credits towards her college degree while at the same time providing valuable life experience.
    In addition, her cousin, Stephanie, would be participating in the same program, making the transition to Jocelyn’s new life a bit easier. For her, the orientation was a business meeting, the springboard to her future career. So when Jon, then a college junior, came in looking worse for wear, she wasn’t too impressed.
    “There was no initial spark,” Jocelyn said.
     Fortunately for Jon, first impressions aren’t everything.
    As Jocelyn now knows, there’s a deeper side to Jon that casual acquaintances rarely see. It’s true that on top of enriching his education, Jon did want to have a good time in England, but inside he was also struggling. He was about to enter his final year in college and seemed to have everything in place, but in reality, he had no idea if he was on the right path for his future ambitions.
    Jon wanted to truly use the summer in England to slow down and reflect on his journey.
    Luckily, Jocelyn would be along for the ride. Had she decided to participate in the program a year later, like most students her age, it’s likely she would have never met Jon.
    “We were just on different paths,” Jon said.

Once upon a time
    Jon and Jocelyn can say they lived a fairy-tale existence. From May to August 2006, they made their home in Alnwick Castle, a medieval fortress that is now the largest inhabited castle in Britain. The estate’s 700-year history includes a storied lineage with the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland, and has gained more recent notoriety as the backdrop to many scenes in the “Harry Potter” movie series.
    But for Jon and Jocelyn, it was a bridge to the next phase in life. Each found in it a home built for their individual spirits, especially Jon who formed a social committee and was elected Duke of all events not sanctioned by the university shortly after their arrival.
    “We were the instigators of everything,” Jon said.
    Jocelyn’s and Jon’s time in England wasn’t only spent in pubs, soccer fields or museums. There was some serious work to do, too. Jon took the more esoteric approach to his studies, focusing more on penetrating subjects of culture and history, while Jocelyn was methodically advancing towards earning her business degree. Both agreed, however, not to take for granted the rich history of their surroundings.
    “You would be reading these Shakespearian novels written about the places you’re in while you were reading it,” Jon recalled.
    “I could do my homework in the Duchess’s gardens, so I was okay with that!” Jocelyn said.
    Despite their divergent academic progressions, Jon and Jocelyn couldn’t help but be drawn together from time to time. There were only 34 students in the study program and only a limited number of specialized course offerings. The two eventually had classes together.
    Jocelyn recalls her budding attraction to Jon and the daily ritual of vying for a seat behind him in their shared classes for an optimum vantage point.
    “He had such cute ears,” Jocelyn said. “ ... and I loved his nose ... he’s a fox. I thought he was way out of my league.”
    Jocelyn said at the time, she didn’t even realize Jon was the same jokester from her initial orientation meeting. She had also heard a rumor that Jon had noticed her as well. Jon confirmed later that this was in fact true and said that he was first drawn by Jocelyn’s petite, yet womanly figure as well as her “nice skin.”
    Somewhere along the way, Jon learned that Jocelyn had yet to enter her freshman year of college and said he put any feelings toward her to rest.
    “It was just weird,” Jon said. “She was like my buddies’ little sister’s age. I wasn’t going to pursue anything.”

A song for the ladies
    One afternoon, Jocelyn and Jon had arrived late to lunch and found themselves absent their friends in a common area of the castle. The two inched their way down a table towards each other, pandering to the awkwardness of the situation.
    During their classes, Jocelyn said Jon liked to brag about the musical artists in heavy rotation on his iPod or the latest playlist he had created. That day, he had his characteristic earbuds in place, but removed them (well, one at least) to speak with Jocelyn.
    She playfully teased and prodded Jon to hear what had so keenly attracted his discerning ear that day. Jon gave in, and the two inched close enough for the two of them to share one set of headphones and discover the song du jour.
    The song was one of the more colorful offerings from Tenacious D, a band known as much for their absurdest comedy as for their musical prowess.
    “It was so Jon,” Jocelyn said. “I was laughing hysterically.”
    Sparks? More like lighting the far end of a 100-foot fuse.
    The two would meet up from time to time during their semester in England and even had a few libation-infused, heart-to-heart conversations (usually centered around one giving the other relationship advice) but that sharing of headphones turned out to be what would lead to sharing a life together.

Sparks
    After Jocelyn and Jon returned from their studies in England they were once again separated by their circumstances. Jon, by then a college senior, had only a few classes remaining to complete and was thus scarcely on campus that fall at St. Cloud State University.
    One day, while Jocelyn was walking to a class she was surprised to hear her name being called from across campus. She wasn’t startled to hear her name, but rather by the distinct voice carrying it, and the fact that the caller had recognized her from behind and while her appearance was overly concealed by a brown-billed hat. In an instant, Jocelyn knew it was Jon. And in that same instant, her life had changed.
    Finally, there were sparks.
    “I had butterflies in my stomach,” Jocelyn said.
    The two caught up and made nervous small talk. The conversation didn’t matter, both were simply looking for a reason to spend time together — even if only for a few minutes before being separated once again.
    The following spring, Jon had the perfect excuse to call on Jocelyn again. The one-year anniversary of their study trip in England was fast approaching, so Jon thought a party to commemorate the event would be in order.
As host, Jon called Jocelyn to invite her to the party at his home, and did some calculated flirting to let her know he was thinking of her as more than just a former classmate. Jocelyn picked up on the nuances of the phone call and quickly devised a plan of her own.
    “I decided at that moment I was absolutely going to date (Jon),” Jocelyn said.
    That suited Jon just fine.
    Jon had learned of Jocelyn’s accomplishments in school and realized she wasn’t the naive college freshman he had originally pegged her to be. Even in their brief conversations, he could tell they saw eye-to-eye when it came to the big things in life. Suddenly, he realized it wouldn’t be so strange to pursue a younger woman.
    The two started calling and texting each other in anticipation of the reunion party. But once the event finally took place, Jon was coy about the build up. He played it cool and mostly communed with his closer friends while the group cheered on the Twins baseball team in Minneapolis.
    When the group returned to Jon’s home, however, Jocelyn made certain the two would have some alone time together. She blithely colored Jon’s name in crayon on his truck to catch his attention, and it worked.
    Jon’s lighthearted critique turned to a private conversation, which in turn led to a kiss.
    “I think (Jocelyn was) trying to calm me down about writing on my truck,” Jon said.
    Jocelyn and Jon soon became a couple and have been together ever since.

Our Little Secret
    More than two years passed by, and Jocelyn and Jon continued to grow closer as a couple. They even purchased their first home together in St. Louis Park. It wasn’t long before Jon said he was ready to move on to the next step in his life, and he was certain it could only be with Jocelyn.
    “I was ready. She was ready,” Jon said. “We were in good spots in our life and in our careers.”    
    Christmas Day was approaching and it would be the first for Jon and Jocelyn in their new home. Inspired by the romantic undertones of the holiday season, Jon planned a full day of festive activities for the proposal.
    “We set up our Christmas tree,” Jocelyn said. “We put the lights on the tree, and on the house. We were listening to Christmas music ... we just had a really enjoyable day doing stuff together for our new house.”
    To put an exclamation point on the day, Jon made dinner reservations at Zelo, an Italian hotspot in downtown Minneapolis, where the couple hadn’t dined since their first “real date.” They both made a conscious effort to treat it as such, making certain to dress and prepare for the occasion in different areas of their home.
    “It was a: ‘Hey, I’ll pick you up at 7’ kind of a thing,” Jon jokingly said.
    Despite arriving (to their living room) on time for their date, Jocelyn and Jon had some extra downtime as the reservation Jon was able to secure was later than he had planned. They made a few cocktails, and a few opening lines, pretending it was their first date again.
    Jon made his way to the fireplace and produced a miniature gift box. The couple had agreed not to buy each other gifts since they had recently purchased their home.
    “I got you something small,” Jon told Jocelyn.
    Jocelyn was already flushed thinking Jon had picked up on her family tradition of the girls receiving an ornament that commemorates a meaningful event from the past year.
    “It’s something small, and meaningful, that shows how much I love you,” Jon continued as he got down on one knee.
    Jocelyn opened the box, enthusiastically accepted Jon’s proposal and the couple stood in shocked silence for what seemed like 10 minutes, Jocelyn said. They both agreed not to immediately tell their families or friends. Instead, they would simply continue with their date, both bursting with excitement and the news that only they knew. They weren’t even tempted to tell their server, even after some generous pours of McManis Petite Sirah.
    “It was our little secret, all night,” Jocelyn said.

The Road Ahead
    Jocelyn and Jon’s news is a secret no more. The couple will be married Oct. 23 near Jocelyn’s hometown of Rice, Minn.
    Despite their disparate paths when they first met, Jon and Jocelyn have found a way to come together and find strength in each other’s differences. Of course, they do have a common interest that has been evident since day one: they both love to travel.
    Jocelyn and Jon will honeymoon in Italy, spending time in Cinque Terre, Rome, and Pompeii. The couple said they look forward to the challenge of traveling in a foreign country where they don’t speak the native language. Once again, they’ll be studying abroad and learning new life lessons, only this time, they will be doing it as husband and wife.