Did you come here to get married?

Yesterday I started my final chem lab. I don't know why I was crazy enough to take chem in the summer other than my anxiousness to get things done and over with. The professor is one of the toughest I've had and I figured that I could buckle down and endure 7.5 weeks a little easier than the full 15 of a standard semester. Now, however, I am not so sure that was wise. He warned us the first day of class that in effort to secure an average (read: C) grade in the class we would need to put in 32 hours outside of class studying. So, 32 hours outside class + 8 hours in class = full time job. Eeeeeks.

My new lab partner and I were doing the general get-to-know-you conversation and as he found out I'm from Colorado Springs started asking me if I knew about a dozen different people. None of the names sounded even remotely familiar and his response was simply "well, they are a little older, like 24." I like this guy already. Anytime I'm assumed to be an entire decade younger than I am I can't help but smile. After last semesters fiasco with my lab partner asking me out while being a literal ten years my junior, I decided to set the record straight up front and just spit out the true quantitative value of my life's experience. In between chuckling, I just said, I'm a lot older than that.

The conversation turned to how long we'd each been out here and that is when the fateful question hit: Did you come here to get married?

Um, No.

He obviously didn't believe me and started on this explanation that we ALL come here to get married. He's from Omaha and "obviously didn't come here for school because there are good schools at home." He came here to get married, and doesn't hesitate to share it. I don't think I've ever heard a guy actually say that, although a few have alluded to it now and again. This class may turn out to be more interesting than I anticipated.