Mr_Banani: Nerdy Boy Meets Nerdy Girl

Hey everyone, it’s Mr_Banani back with another story from my life. Today, I want to share a tale that’s close to my heart: how I met my amazing wife, Anibanani. Our meeting was a moment straight out of a gamer’s dream, and it all happened at Gamestop back in 2009.

A Chance Encounter

It was a typical Saturday afternoon, and I was casually browsing the shelves at Gamestop, looking for Xenosaga III, a game that was notoriously hard to find due to its limited print run. I remember being introduced to Ani by one of my fraternity brothers. Standing there, I was pretty shy, but Ani was a teasing flirt, trying to get me to talk. There was something about her that made me want to strike up a conversation.

Shared Interests Spark a Connection

After our first meeting, I found Anibanani online and sent her a message. We quickly exchanged contact information and discovered we had a lot in common, from our love for Star Trek to our passion for the Xenosaga series. Our conversations flowed naturally, and it was clear we had a strong connection.

The First Date

Within less than a week, we agreed to meet up and watch a movie at my apartment. We attempted to watch Star Trek: Insurrection, but ended up spending all of our time nerding out and talking about our interests and favorite games, animes, and TV shows. I knew then that I needed to see her again. I hadn’t had conversations with similar interests before with someone of the opposite sex, and she challenged me to try new games and watch new anime.

A Sweet (and Funny) Second Date

For our second date, Ani promised to make me cookies. However, when I got to her place, she sheepishly admitted that she had already eaten the cookies she made. It was a funny, endearing moment that I still tease her about to this day.

Building Our Relationship

At the time, we both didn’t have a lot of friends. Her best friend had gone to a different college, and I was new to the area. Although I had joined a fraternity, I decided to leave within a year of us dating due to the financial commitment. Our relationship grew stronger as we relied on each other for support and companionship.

Ani’s Support and Our Partnership

Ani has always been incredibly supportive of my career. There have been times when she took a backseat to help with my disability or to focus on raising our son. Due to the medications I take, I often get sick worse than others when something is going around. Ani would frequently take care of me, making sure I had the medication I needed, food, and someone to talk to. She also took on the role of being a homemaker, taking care of our son to ensure that we didn’t have to pay for daycare. Our son was born with food allergies, which made it really difficult to trust him in other people’s care. Because of this, Ani was unable to finish her college degree. Her nurturing and support have been critical to my success.

A Passion for Video Games and Anime

Our shared passion for video games, particularly RPGs, continued to play a significant role in our relationship. We bonded over our favorite RPGs and shared our love for all things nerdy. In addition to gaming, we both had a deep interest in anime. Before meeting, I mainly watched mainstream anime, but Ani introduced me to a genre called slice of life, which were very different from the action in Naruto and Bleach. We’ve watched several slice of life anime over the years, and each time I find more and more joy in the genre. Even today, we spend many of our evenings watching new anime together, discovering new stories and characters that we both enjoy.

Getting Married

On November 13, 2012, we decided to get married, choosing the same date as our first date. We didn’t have a wedding ceremony; instead, we focused on what mattered most—our love and commitment to each other. It was a simple yet profoundly meaningful day that marked the beginning of our life together as husband and wife.

Building a Life Together

Fast forward to today, and we’re proud parents navigating the joys and challenges of raising our middle school-aged son. Gaming continues to be a significant part of our lives, and we often bond as a family over our favorite RPGs. Our shared passion has created a unique and strong bond, not just between us but also with our son. We’ve even made great friends together in the Final Fantasy XIV community.

Blogging Together

Through this blog, Anibanani and I aim to share our experiences and insights with fellow gamers, parents, and hobbyists. We hope to foster a community where we can learn from each other and celebrate our passions. Whether it’s exploring new RPG worlds, diving into new programming challenges, or enjoying creative hobbies together, there’s always something exciting to discover.

A Message to Our Readers

Meeting Anibanani at Gamestop was a serendipitous event that led to a lifetime of shared adventures and love. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most extraordinary moments come from the most ordinary places. Ani doesn’t let me get away with being aloof or slacking off, especially in the mornings. If it wasn’t for her, I’d probably have been fired a long time ago for sleeping in all the time. lol

We typically spend several nights a week either playing games like Final Fantasy XIV or watching anime together. With our son, we’ve introduced him to games like Little Big Planet and Super Mario. We started gaming with him at an early age to help with his ability to problem solve and read. Ani and I would also like to start homesteading. We’ve spent the past several years growing our garden and realized we appreciate the isolation of being away from our neighbors. We like the ability to choose the people we spend time with, rather than being forced to live next to others.

So, whether you’re a fellow gamer, a tech enthusiast, or a parent navigating the complexities of life, we hope our story inspires you to embrace your passions and cherish the connections you make along the way.

Until next time,

Mr_Banani