Camille Hayton was a long way from home. Born in Australia, she had recently moved to New York City to take an internship with Black Book magazine. While the internship was going well, an apartment fire had forced Camille to do a lot of things differently. For one, it forced her to use the subway a lot more often. And on Sunday, November 4, she was taking the #5 train from Union Station to Bowling Green. During the trip, she journaled in her diary, trying to make sense of how her life had changed. What she didn’t know was that Patrick Moberg was on that same train. And Patrick was smitten.
He was sure that this mysterious brunette with rosy cheeks and fancy braided hair (with a flower in the back left) was the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, Patrick didn’t have the nerve to introduce himself. Before he knew it, she was gone.
But Patrick isn’t a quitter, he’s just shy. So he built a website to help his cause: www.nygirlofmydreams.com. A talented illustrator, Patrick drew a detailed picture of himself and Camille and enlisted the help of eight million New Yorkers to help him find her. Eventually, a friend and coworker at Black Book saw the site and sent Patrick an email with a picture to confirm his suspicions. It was her! The friend then told Camille. Meanwhile, Good Morning America got wind of the story and arranged a meet-up. In Patrick’s words, they “totally clicked.” The next day the two were on the show and ended up dating.
So, what happened to Camille and Patrick? The story is out there, but, as Patrick says, “I loved the idea of people making their own endings to our unusual story.”
The world is full of crazy love stories. But perhaps the most inspiring are the day-to-day acts of love that we have an opportunity to show to those around us. And what better time of year to show love and kindness than during the Christmas season?
May your Christmas be filled with kindness and love—coming and going—and may that love inspire you to do great things in 2012.