At the annual youth conference (Church Conference) in 2005, we first connected. He was one of the delegates from Atlanta, USA, and I was in Toronto, Canada. I went to bed on the first night of the conference while some women went to each other’s rooms to relax. My designated housemates and a few other individuals visited my room a little while later. I didn’t wake up because I knew we would all get in trouble if our youth pastor found out. The girls would not stop saying, “Didn’t you see the guy from ATL?” and “He is this, he is that” the following day. Oh well, I said.

We dressed for the day’s activities and headed downstairs to board the bus. I went to talk to “the guy from ATL” and asked him if he wanted to ride our bus because some of my friends had requested me to. I approached him, said hello, and requested to know his name. When he said Olamide, I grinned and added, “Oh, that’s my cousin’s name.” When we boarded the bus, he sat next me and I took a seat. After we got off the bus, I didn’t see him and didn’t talk to him too much. However, when I approached him on the final day of the conference when I saw him inside the church by himself and asked why he was still there, he said that he was waiting for his ride. After an uneasy silence, I asked him if he wanted my number for some reason. Yes, he replied. I didn’t take his number, but he got mine. That marked the start of our six-year long distance relationship.