What is love? Julie and Sean
Updated: Oct 4, 2019
"If you want it; don't be scared of it."
Julie and Sean reside in sunny Santa Monica, California; they have been together for fifteen years and married for eleven. Meeting at a party at Julie's house, their romance blossomed from there. They love spending time together, boating and biking.
I couldn’t wait to speak to Julie and Sean about what makes a successful relationship and see what love means to them.
Julie is originally from Long Island, New York. Living in Manhattan for eighteen years before moving to California in 2002. Sean spent the first thirty-three years of his life in the wider Washington, D.C. area before eventually moving to California in 2004.
In April 2004, after being new to Los Angeles, a mutual friend brought Sean along to Julie’s house for a party that she was throwing. In a tequila haze, Julie remembers seeing Sean sitting on a bar stool wearing a white shirt and looking cute. They spent the night drinking, smoking, (a habit they both had back then) talking and playing backgammon. Many people ended up staying the night. The following morning, Julie and her friends were sitting on the deck when Sean walked in. As Julie recalls "he remembered everyone's name." She thought then that this man was different, caring; considering “he could have just left!”
A romance ensued, but a brief parting followed. Sean being new to Los Angeles wanted to live the single life, and so they were apart until that September when Sean realized that nothing out there was worth seeing. Sean said, "I think it was quite shocking finding someone so special so quickly, but you're always going to come back to it if it's right."
Julie and Sean were instantly at ease with one another, enjoying that they could be sincere and themselves. Julie said “Acceptance of one another is key. Loving someone despite their faults and being honest, knowing you can trust each other, it takes away all the anxiety.” After four years of dating, they knew that they wanted to get married and spoke about it often. They had arranged for the engagement ring that Sean custom designed to incorporate two of Julie’s late mother’s diamonds. After picking up the ring, Sean couldn't wait to propose, leaping down on one knee as soon as he woke up, one Sunday morning. Julie said "he was so excited, he just couldn't wait."
Their wedding took place on a gondola at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. After the ceremony, everyone around them clapped. Sean said that's when he realized that “everyone loves love."
Emmaleen: Can you share a loving story from your relationship?
Julie: “Last year we went to Croatia for our tenth wedding anniversary. We hired a boat with a captain and a chef and traveled down from Split to Dubrovnik. I have very thick hair, and I hated using the shower on the boat. It wasn't easy shampooing my hair, and as we were in and out the Adriatic Sea, I needed to wash my hair every day. Sean stood at the end of the boat and shampooed my hair for me every day".
What is the key to a happy relationship?
Julie: “We like to do a lot of things together. I think it’s better than having activities that you enjoy apart. Don’t ever take your loved one for granted".
Sean: “Make sure it stays special and evolves effortlessly."
What is Love?
Julie: “physical love, emotional love, completely at peace. To forgive one another and be able to apologize. Oh, and laughter is essential."
Sean: “Life is too serious not to be able to have fun with the one you love. It’s that one person to rely on. If you want it, don't be afraid of it."
What is your advice to anyone looking for love?
Julie: “STOP LOOKING. How can you be comfortable with someone if you are looking? It’s like a job interview; people are not themselves when they are looking. Also, don’t ever think you can change someone.”
Sean: “You have actually to want to be married; marriage is a state of mind, and you both have to want it.”
If you like this story and want to hear more, subscribe to my mailing list. If you have a love tale that you would like to share, please use the contact me page here on my website.