My latest guilty pleasure: 90 Day Fiancé (seasons 1-3)

I met my husband at the beginning of 2002. We were matched up by one of his friends and we only lived about 10 minutes driving distance from each other at the time. We got engaged in March of 2003 and married in March of 2004. So when I started watching 90 Day Fiancé, it was hard for me to fathom how someone could move to the US from another country and only have three months to get married to someone they only spent a small amount of time with prior to this move. That's what makes this reality show so fascinating and addictive. I started season one at the beginning of July and am already on season four!

Here are some thoughts that go through my head as I am watching:

*People are always assuming the person from another country is only there for their green card and therefore MUST be using the US citizen.

*Friends and relatives think the person from the US had millions of men or women to choose from on their own soil, but they somehow had to go outside of the US to find a love match. (They usually think the same about the person from the other country.)

*It's hard enough to have the cultural and language barriers, but sometimes there's a wide age gap too.

*After they get married, why does it still take so long to get a green card?

*I would not want to be filmed during so many moments that should be private, nor would I want to be caught crying on film.

*The honeymoon period of dating or getting engaged is very short, as the shine wears off pretty soon after the fiancé arrives in the US.

*Why would people sign up for the show if they don't know if they'll get the K1 visa? I've noticed that happening with some couples.

*The fiancés are always jealous for some reason or another. There have been a few against bachelor or bachelorette parties.

*I find that I get attached to the couples by the end of each season and then have to start all over again with a new set of couples.

*This series is really a franchise. There's Happily Ever After, What Now, Before the 90 Days, etc. I just found out that there's also going to be the reverse where Americans go to their fiancé's country to get married. (Or at least that's in the works!)

*I don't get how some people want to stay in a relationship even if they are being treated badly.

I'm going to now rank the couples from each season based on how much staying power I think they have. SPOILERS ahead!

Season 1:

• Alan and Kirlyam: Kirlyam (Keer-lee-ahm) is adorable and it seemed like Alan was really into her. I thought it was sweet that he surprised her with a Skype visit from her family while she was at a party with his family. I loved her modeling session and was a bit perturbed that Alan was jealous when she was being photographed by other men. 
• Mike and Aziza: I was a bit skeptical of their relationship, but it seems like they really love each other. I didn't like how people were judging their relationship or Aziza's reluctance to fit in with his family, but it all worked out in the end.
• Russ and Paola: They're definitely a fiery couple with some interesting complications. I heard that they're on Happily Ever After, so I'm sure there's more to come. Russ was definitely the most attractive of the guys this season and Paola is gorgeous, even if she is high maintenance. 
• Louis and Aya: Even though I read that they had a baby, I still felt like something was off between them the whole time. 

Season 2:

• Danny and Amy: They are by far my favorite couple from all three seasons. I love them together and they both are so genuine. I was glad to hear that Danny's father finally was more accepting of their relationship. I also think they'll make great parents.
• Chelsea and Yamir: They seem really cute and sweet together. Yamir really gave up a lot to move to central Illinois, but he was very mature about how he saw his path back to his career. I just found out a huge spoiler about them, but that's all I will say.  
• Justin and Evelin: I wasn't sure what to think of them at first, since Justin was keeping his relationship with Evelin such a secret from his family. I could understand why once we met them, but his mom ended up being nice and I'm glad Evelin helped him come around in regards to inviting his family to the wedding. I also didn't like that he initially expected her to take care of housekeeping while he watched TV. 
• Brett and Daya: I didn't like Daya at first. Brett gave her flowers and she complained that they weren't roses and then she questioned the validity of the diamond in the ring he gave her. However, once Brett's daughter came into the picture and Daya really tried to bond with her, I saw a different side of her. I was actually annoyed that Brett's mom (who looked more like his sister) wasn't accepting of her and refused to attend the wedding. 
• Jason and Cassia: I read spoilers about them so I know what happened anyway, but the fact that he was always working, even on their dates, and treating her like an employee spoke volumes. I also thought she was being bratty when we first were introduced to her. I don't know why she'd get jealous of him having Playboy magazines or wanting to have a bachelor party. She's a lot younger than him and very attractive (as long as she's not doing the cat eye thing with her eyeliner). **Funny story: I knew Jason in college. We weren't close, but we had some friends in common and he was always nice whenever I'd run into him on campus. The last time I saw him was in 1997. Then my friend sent me an article about him being on a reality show and I didn't give it much thought as I wasn't into reality TV (this show is still the only exception). When I saw him on season two, the article came back into my mind. What are the odds?!? Even so, he doesn't seem like the Jason I remember from college. A lot can change in 17 years though!**
• Danielle and Mohamed: This couple is seriously a hot mess. (SPOILER: I found out that they're on Happily Ever After, but I also found out some other stuff about their marriage online.) There's the age gap and the fact that Mohamed doesn't really seem like he's into the relationship. He just runs off whenever things go bad. I like how Danielle's family looks out for her, if only she'd listen to them!

Season 3:

• Kyle and Noon: I liked both of them from the beginning, aside from Kyle's gross house with all the bugs. I thought it was sweet that Kyle cried when he greeted Noon at the airport and I felt bad for him with all his family issues, especially after seeing what his mom was like. I can tell that he genuinely loves Noon, regardless of the fact that his job requires him to flirt. 
• Josh and Aleksandra: I thought they were both very nice and made a cute match. I was a bit frustrated with how Aleksandra wasn't open to giving things a chance since they were different than in Prague. I also found it annoying that people judged her for drinking and going to dance clubs in Russia. She's in her early twenties! Halfway through the season, I was informed of a funny celebrity "doppelganger" for Josh and now I can't get that out of my head. 
• Melanie and Devar: They made an interesting couple and I like that Devar was so good with Melanie's son. I had concerns when he talked about sending his earnings back to his family in Jamaica once he got a job, but I think that got cleared up and they were able to move on from it. Melanie's sisters weren't that supportive, but I think Bev has come around since then, from what they said on the Tell All.
• Fernando and Carolina: At first I was more skeptical of their relationship because of the delayed visa and Carolina's impatience. I also thought Carolina was being too jealous even though she's 17 years younger than Fernando and very pretty. I felt bad for her once she got to America and felt lonely. It was nice that Fernando's mom finally warmed to her though. I'm hoping she's become more comfortable in America and has made friends. 
• Loren and Alexei: Loren reminded me a lot of my sister, both in looks and personality. I don't think my sister's as feisty, but the way she talked and dressed and certain facial expressions just were so similar. In any case, I didn't feel the love from Alexei all that much. There was a disconnect. It also was interesting that he was being so adamant about her not going to a strip club for her bachelorette party when it turns out he did it for his bachelor party. (It makes me feel better about how the only racy thing I did for my bachelorette party was go to an adult toy store on the way to the improv show. I didn't even buy anything!) In any case, he had nothing to be jealous of since Loren thought he was "delicious." I loved their wedding and how it showed a lot of Jewish traditions. I especially enjoyed that they knew the detail of putting the ring on the index finger during the ceremony.
• Mark and Nikki: Two words: Train wreck. Aside from the nearly 40 year age difference and the fact that Nikki is younger than Mark's youngest adult child, the fact that he is done with children, is obsessive, bossy, condescending, and selfish (need I go on?) makes me wonder how Nikki even went through with the wedding and why she's still married to him. I really don't get it. Watching him with her just made me uncomfortable. But hey, they live in Baltimore so I could potentially run into them if I'm out that way. LOL!

Reports on seasons four and five coming soon...

Top 10 list to celebrate a big 10!

Ten years ago today, I met the man I now proudly call my husband. It was the first time we met in person after a couple of nights of long phone calls and lots of e-mails in between. He asked me to meet him for hot cocoa instead of coffee, which affirmed that this "date" would be the end all, be all. (Neither of us drink coffee, so it was cliché to ask to meet up for it.) And when we met in person, I just felt this comfortable familiarity. My BFF even accidentally "safety-called" me. The timing was amusing as she didn't know we were meeting up at the time, and also because I definitely didn't need a safety call!
While watching an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" a while back, it talked about all the catalysts that allow for a certain circumstance to occur. I was thinking of that in the case of how I met my husband. Therefore, in honor of 10 years, I'm going to share 10 catalysts that led up to our meeting. I may find a way to share this all as a story someday, but for now, this will have to do.

1. Dating a guy almost two years earlier, who got me involved in a bowling league.
2. My husband going to Miami University, which allowed him to meet our matchmaker.
3. "Jack's" Super Bowl party, which was the reason I had to bowl for my league earlier in the day. (Even though my husband teases me about blowing off a potential bowling date with him for this party.)
4. A mutual friend in town from NJ for a job interview, who also happened to be friends with our matchmaker.
5. My BFF, who is a catalyst in a huge way, and not just because of the events leading up to my life-changing proclamation.
6. A friend who shared a last name with me at the time, who introduced me to the friend from NJ on Thanksgiving 2001.
7. My husband finding a job in Chicago and then realizing he didn't want to live in the city after one year.
8. My husband deciding not to join everyone for drinks that evening. (If he had come along, he might not have had the same impression of me.)
9. The Birthright trip I took to Israel, which made me want to go to temple (and find a guy who also liked going to temple).
10. The concept of besherte.

If any of these items had been missing, I'm not sure that my husband and I would have met. I feel so fortunate that we have met and I love him more than anything (aside from our kids).

*Picture was taken in May 2002, when we were attending a friend's wedding.

"It's a Small World" is not just a Disney ride

I always love experiencing or hearing about bizarre coincidences or small world events. I wanted to share some of my own and will share more as they come up.

*In 2002, my husband took my mother-in-law to a Judaica store in West Rogers Park. The salesman found out that she lived in Cleveland and started talking about how he knew a family in Cleveland. It turned out that he was roommates with my brother-in-law at Yeshiva. A few months later, we were at a family friends’ house and the same guy walked in. He was also friends with their son!

*When I was working at my medical billing job, a patient’s name came up over and over. After I moved, I saw the same name on Facebook, as someone a friend of mine is friends with. I’ll never reveal names for this because of privacy reasons, but it was one of those names that is such a rare combination and the location was the same. It was amusing more than anything else.

*When I started my new job, I ended up talking to a girl who said she grew up in my husband’s old neighborhood. When I asked her if she knew him, she said she went to prom with him!

*I also discovered that I went to the same high school as another girl I work with. It made me feel old when she said her graduation date, but still, what are the odds?

This is all I could think of for now. I’m sure more will definitely come up!