*SERIES* “Love & A Photo”: Jonathan & Ev`Yan

Name

Jonathan

Ev`Yan

Age

Jonathan: 23

Ev`Yan:  21. I’ll be 22 in September.

Lifes’ Work

Jonathan:  Self illumination and illuminating others.

Ev`Yan: I am an advice columnist at my blog, askapricot.com

What city do you live in

Jonathan & Ev~Yan: Pasadena, CA.

How long have you been together

Jonathan: Almost 3 years.

Ev`Yan: We’ve been together for nearly 3 years, married for almost 2.

How & where did you meet?

Jonathan:  We met in Pasadena, after meeting online the previous day. Kind of crazy.

Ev`Yan: We met online. I was browsing through male profiles on Myspace, saw his, & immediately had to message him.

What was your first impression?

Jonathan: I thought Ev’Yan was extremely shy… she didn’t say much. It actually was to the point that I wasn’t sure if she was interested in me.

Ev`Yan:  I thought he was breathtakingly gorgeous! & then, of course, I noted his intellegence, his charm, & his humor. I was hooked.

Describe your first date.

Jonathan: We met at the spur of the moment; Ev’Yan drove down to Pasadena, which was about an hour drive. I think we were both a little nervous, but after a little while we both became comfortable. We went to pizza at Gelato Roma, a place that unfortunately has closed its doors since then. Three years later we’re still terribly upset about that.

Ev`Yan: Our first date happened a day after I first talked to him online. We ate at this cute little pizza place & then got coffee afterward. It was such a nerve-wracking date because we were both extremely nervous & head over heels for each other. But in the end, it was one of the best dates I had been on.

Tell me about the most funny thing your partner ever did to “impress” you.

Jonathan: Nothing I can really think of. Ev’Yan is a very genuine person.

Ev`Yan:  You know, it’s funny, but I don’t think Jonathan has ever done anything to impress me. I think he’s always been his genuine, charming self without trying.

When did you know it was love?

Jonathan:  After the first date.

Ev`Yan:  From the very first moment I laid my eyes on him — that being on our first date. It was instant.

Are you guys more of “perfect twins” or “opposite attracts”?

Jonathan:  I would say we’re more “opposite attraction.” I’m more extroverted, she’s more introverted. I like to go out more and Ev’Yan is more of a homebody. But we still have a lot of things in common. We’re both very sentimental, we both love music, writing and creativity, and we both can get down on some Donkey Kong.

Ev`Yan:  I think we’re a mix of both. Jonathan & I are very similar in the sense that we’re both emotional people. We take things to heart & we’re often very sensitive & passionate about things. At the same time, he’s a lot more daring, while I am more reserved & cautious. He tends to be a little inarticulate with his feelings while I can express them a lot easier. I think it works out perfectly.

Retell the coolest travel adventure that you have taken together.

Jonathan:  Death Cab For Cutie, Long Beach 2006.

Ev`Yan:  We haven’t had the chance to really, truly travel just yet, but one of my favorite small travel memories was when he & I eloped to Vegas on Christmas evening. We drove for about 3 hours when it was pitch black outside & we were both pretty nervous but very excited. It made for a wonderful adventure. I remember we stayed up until about 3am our hotel room, eating ice cream & Doritos to sort of celebrate our newlywed-ness. It was so much fun; I’ll never forget it.

How do you share your creativity/gifts with the world?

Jonathan:  I write about self-development and living on your own terms. I try to make self-development more accessible to the “unconventional” crowd. I give people tools and help people shift their perspectives to live more authentically and effectively.

Ev`Yan:  Jonathan & I are both writers. He gives the world his wisdom of personal development & strategies of how to liberate yourself, & I give people advice on my advice blog. I was a little resistant at first to have us both be writers, but now I feel so blessed that he & I have something that connects us. He edits my articles, I edit his. He gives me critique & pushes me in the right direction, & I encourage him to take risks in his work. We make a good team.

What was your first disagreement about?

Jonathan:  I have no idea.

Ev`Yan:  Believe it or not, the very first that I can remember was a tiff we had at a grocery store. He wasn’t putting the produce in those little plastic baggies, & I was mad because he was telling me that doing that wastes plastic. We got into an argument over that! It was so stupid, but I think it shows that I wasn’t quite used to his ways of being environmentally conscious. Eventually, I got used to it & now I am a vegetarian, environmentally conscious freak myself.

What do you do after a ‘fight’?

Jonathan:  I usually try to makeup, but that often makes it worse. Ev’Yan needs her space after a disagreement, so I’ve learned that it’s better if I just let her cool off and come to me afterward.

Ev`Yan:  I try to keep my distance, because it takes me a little while to cool down. (I’m stubborn & I tend to let the anger steep in me for longer than it should.) Jonathan, on the other hand, wants to make up immediately, & often fights so lovingly & fair that it makes me even more angrier! He’s the type of person that will say, mid-fight, “I love you.” That is one thing I’m still trying to get used to, because when I’m angry, I’m angry! I can’t switch emotions so easily.

Have you faced any adversity? If so, and you care to share- what…

Jonathan:  We’ve both had our share of issues, some together and some separate. We always work through them together and support each other. I think we take it seriously that we are each others best friends and have the other persons back no matter what.

Ev`Yan:  We’ve faced a lot of hardships early on in our relationship. Quite specifically, his overdose on cocaine. It was one of the most traumatizing experiences of my life, but one that made our relationship stronger & wiser. If I had the choice to take that all back, I would decline. I really think that if his overdose never happened, we wouldn’t have as much strength & love in our relationship.

Describe your love journey in 3 words.

Jonathan:  Growth. Trust. Sharing.

Ev`Yan:  Whimsical & never ceasing.

For the marrieds, how has life changed since you got hitched?

Jonathan:  More than anything it’s provided a sense of stability and foundation. I feel rooted and take comfort in knowing that I will always have my wife by my side.

Ev`Yan:  I think our devotion to each other has deepened, but marriage isn’t the only thing attributed to that. Our relationship has done a lot of growing over the years, & that kind of growth would have happened anyway, regardless of marriage. But I do think that our relationship has a stronger meaning now that we’re married. We certainly walk a little taller as husband & wife, & it’s because we love being husband & wife. I still get goosebumps when I refer to him as “my husband.”

Bonus Question: What is your favorite beverage?

Jonathan:  3 shots of espresso w/ soy milk (over ice)

Ev`Yan: I love Tazo passion tea.

*Bonus Links*

US (the story of how they met in her words)

16 things I have learned from being married

14 things I am still getting used to in marriage

If you want more info about or to sign up for the Love & A Photo Project go here: Love & A Photo: A Glance