I Married My Best Friend and Soulmate!

My best friend and soulmate!







"I am very proud of you and everything that you have accomplished. I am also proud of us for loving and respecting each other throughout our relationship and for building this life thus far together."

I married my dream soul mate, who accepted me for who I am:

Eric encourages me to be who I am. No matter what challenges or obstacles I face, Eric makes sure to support me by being there by my side or as a cheerleader from a distance. Whatever journey I have taken or will take, either digging deep in discovering my roots or excelling in my writing ability, he makes sure I accomplish them with support and patience. One thing I truly appreciate about my husband is that he is and will be there to remind me of how hard I have worked and how much I have overcome on my long journey, from living in refugee camps in Thailand as a young child to working on my Masters degree in America. He makes sure to also celebrate these accomplishments with me. Through good and bad times, I know I can always count on my husband because he has shown this many times and in various ways.

Sunday marks our 3 months anniversary. We were married on June 19 of this year in Santa Barbara, CA.

My husband and I met in Costa Rica while volunteering for the Peace Corps, July 13, 2005. Although we have different memories of how we met, the date is the same. This was five years ago.


Besides the fact Eric has; blue eyes, blond hair and a surfer build body, which attracted me at first, he has so much love, compassion and kindness to offer as well. When I first fell in love with Eric, it was not his looks but who he is as a person. I remember this day very well because every time I flash back, it brings tears to my cheeks.

Eric and I were sitting on the floor of a somewhat run down hotel in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. (I think this is when he realized I have so much love for “rice.”) I was craving jasmine rice and had been homesick for a while. So we went everywhere in the capital to find rice. When we did find it, it was $4 for a small bowl of rice. This was expensive especially for a Tico income, making a $1 per day. But we bought it anyway, and Eric said, “Anything for honey.” Then we went to the American KFC (yes, they have it everywhere in Costa Rica) and got some chicken to eat with the rice. When we returned to our hotel, we realized there were no spoons or folks to eat with. It was late and we were unsure where to get. Then my childhood experiences came into play.

When I was growing up in the refugee camp, I did not have silverware, only two hands to feed myself with. That is all I knew and lived with for the first 8 years of my life. I guess to the western perspectives it was uncivilized, but it works!
While we were setting on the floor of a rundown hotel in a developing country, I opened up the bowl of rice and KFC chicken. One hand dug into the rice bowl and the other held a piece of chicken thigh. As I placed the rice into my mouth with my hand and fingers in it, Eric just smiled at me. Then I stopped eating and I was so embarrassed. It was very uncivilized I thought. In a way, I was embarrassed about who I was. Instead of thinking I was weird and uncivilized; Eric joined me and ate with his hand also! I started to cry. He asked why I was crying. I told Eric that I appreciated him for not judging me and accepting me for who I am. That night, I taught Eric how to eat rice with his hand. Most importantly, he accepted me for me, the whole package. Yes, I fell in love with Eric. That was when I found out I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man! I couldn’t see my life without him being in it!

You see, Eric and I come from many level of different backgrounds. As a bi-racial couple, at times is not easy for society or for us. We come from different economic standpoints and we were raised differently. As far as personality goes, Eric is very calm and mellow. I am the opposite with a lot of energy and very focused! Put both of us together, we make a great team (Eric & Yenly)!

My husband teaches me how to be patient and that sometimes it is ok to put myself first before others. He also reminds me to understand a person’s point of view or situation first before jumping to conclusions. I think having patience and understanding are very important skills in order to excel. I encourage Eric to be more open with his emotions and feelings. Seriously, I cannot read his mind! I also think I share with him my ability to adapt to any situations or environments we may face. Sometimes, these differences don’t seem that bad after all. If anything, we complement each other!

Despite these differences, our love and common interests keep us growing together. Such as that both sets of parents have been married for over 27 years! We share similar practices of religion and perspectives on life. We both are well educated. We love the beach and the ocean. We enjoy helping people and making a difference in their lives. We enjoy each others company. Most importantly our common love, understanding and respect for each other are the strength to our friendship, marriage and as a bi-racial couple.

Each day, I look forward to waking up next to my amazing handsome husband. I look forward to growing as a couple, as well as who we are as individuals and who we will become. I look forward to sharing and building new memories together on this great adventure of married life!