Matt & Carly
Established- October 22, 2011
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What was your first date ever?
Carly: Jurrasic Park- The Lost World. I think I was 10 when that movie came out. 10? That seems young for a date...maybe like 13.
Matt: Mine was some chick flick, I can't even remember what it was. It was my freshman year and her junior year in high school, and that's all I can remember.
Carly: How did I end up seeing Jurrasic Park and you went to a chick flick?
Matt: Uhhh...chicks.
2. Worst date you ever went on?
Matt: So I was dating a girl after high school and before college. I took her downtown, we went to dinner and I drove her car, I remember dinner was great I paid for dinner but then I was out of money, and underage so she went to drink and I left. I accidentally drove down the wrong way and got a ticket in her car. Then she left me in Indianapolis.
Carly: I don't think I have anything that terrible. My bad dates were just full of really boring conversation and dead air space. I tried to make one better by making out in my car, but even that was awful
3. What did you like about being single?
Matt: There's not a lot I liked about being single that I don't get to do now. Like I would sit at home and drink beers and watch wrestling and no one would judge me. I still get to do that now.
Carly: Yeah. I guess more alone time. I think I would practice more. There isn't a lot that I don't do now. I still sit in bed and watch TV and go out with friends. That's something I didn't always have in other relationships, but we give each other a lot of that space.
4. What was your “type” when you were dating?
Carly: This guy, to a T.
Matt: Almost anyone who would pay attention to me.
Carly: I like a man who can grow a beard.
Matt: I like a woman who can hold a conversation, and who likes good music.
5. How did you meet?
Matt: We met at auditions for Spring Awakening in Indianapolis. She had just come home from 3 years on ships and I was just home from NYC saving up money. Saw there were auditions so I showed up. I remember sitting at round tables and she was sitting across from me and we couldn't stop looking at each other.
Carly: It was that feeling that I knew that person, even though I knew I'd never met him.
Matt: So we both got cast and I would always intentionally ask everyone to go out after rehearsals because I wanted to get to know her more. I'd pay attention to every answer she gave everyone. Which was very difficult, since I didn't have my hearing aids yet. I made it a point to not be across from her, but next to the person across from her.
Carly: Creepy. You did try to hook up with someone else before me.
Matt: It didn't work.
Carly: I'm very distracting. I think I did try to hook you by talking about technology things I didn't really understand.
6. How did you describe the other person to your friends before you introduced them?
Carly: He had a mohawk at the time. So I'd always lead with, "He has a mohawk and two eyebrow piercings and he's the kindest person I know." Then later I found out he was hard of hearing, so I'd tell people he wasn't slow, he was deaf. He takes a minute to get to know. I remember telling my aunt there was something different about this person.
Matt: Tall, blonde, bluest eyes, super smart and energetic about life.
7. What do you remember about the “define the relationship” conversation?
Matt: There was a lot of alcohol involved.
Carly: He said, "When are you going to stop making out with other boys?" And I said, "Do you want me to do that?" And he said, "Yeah!" So I said, "Ok."
Matt: Then another night, also involving alcohol, we were sitting in a car listening to a mix tape. And I ask if I could say something I shouldn't say. So I said "I love you" and she was like "Oh, I love you too".
8. Did anything about your relationship surprise you at first?
Carly: How free I felt. Just not being tied down
Matt: How easy and natural it was.
Carly: I mean, we fought a lot at the beginning. But now we don't really fight at all.
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Matt: But even in the beginning, when we did fight, it was easy to fall back into things after and feel like we were alright, and everything was normal.
9. Did you give anything up for this relationship?
Matt: Nothing worth missing.
Carly: Flat out no, I only gained things from this relationship.
10. What do you think the most challenging moment in your relationship was up to now?
Matt: Me working on a cruise ship. A lot of life things happened in like a three-month window. I had like 3 or 4 weeks left in my contract and I remember having a conversation on the phone saying this was too hard. I was trying to decide if it was worth fighting for.
Carly: I think that was your worst moment, and mine followed that. It was trying to decide if I could trust this person or not, that whole crisis of faith. I remember talking to my friend and she asks me directly if I trust this person and I was like, yeah, I trust him.
11. What’s your favorite part of the relationship now?
Carly: Can kickball be an answer?
Matt: The life that we've created in the city. The friendships we've formed. The two groups of people we attract, they're so different but so similar. I like those groups and the life we've built and chosen to live.
Carly: Hell yeah! I'm with him
12. What inspires you about your partner?
Carly: His work ethic and one of the initial things that attracted me to him, he just doesn't give a shit what people think of him.
Matt: She's so inspiring. She inspires people to do good work for her. She's a hard worker, she's good at what she does, and she knows her trade. It's a cool thing to watch her perform and run a company.
13. What advice would you give to your single selves about relationships?
Matt: Be yourself. Just be yourself. Don't wallow and try to figure it out or try to be someone for somebody that is different. Be yourself and celebrate what that means to you.
Carly: It's not that deep. Have more fun. The person you're with should make you laugh, you idiot. You're not going to pick the one that doesn't make you laugh. And finally, speak up. Literally and figuratively.
