How Our Story Began

Every great adventure has a beginning. Ours started long before Bella Nova and the dream of the Great Loop. In fact, it began like something straight out of a romantic movie.

It was the spring of 1983 at the University of Cincinnati, and we first met in Engineering Calculus. Not exactly the setting you’d expect for a love story—unless you count derivatives and integrals as romantic.

Howard was in ROTC and had to wear his uniform two days a week. One of those days happened to fall on our calculus class. Most days he would run back to his dorm and change into civilian clothes before class, and his friends would tease him when he walked in. But every once in a while, he would show up in that uniform.

And I have to admit… he looked pretty great in it.

I noticed him early on. So I developed a little strategy. I would put my books on the chair next to me so no one else would sit there. Then when Howard came into the classroom, I’d casually pick them up. More often than not, he’d take the seat.

We would chat during class, but once the quarter ended, life moved on and I didn’t see him again for almost an entire year.

Fast forward to the end of fall quarter during our junior year. I was out at a bar with some girlfriends when I suddenly saw a familiar face walk through the door.

It was Howard.

I turned to my friends and said, “That’s the guy I told you about. I’m going to say hi.” They wished me luck as I walked over.

He was ordering a drink when I said hello. We talked for a bit, he asked for my number, and then I headed back to the sorority with my friends.

What I didn’t know at the time was that Howard had just finished one of the toughest quarters of school he’d ever had and was feeling pretty discouraged. Still, a few days later he called… though he had actually forgotten my number.

Luckily, he remembered my name. Our calculus professor always handed back papers by calling us by our last names, so that stuck with him.

Our first date was to see Raiders of the Lost Ark, the very first Indiana Jones movie.

In the famous opening scene, when the giant boulder is chasing Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford), we both grabbed each other’s hand. And we didn’t let go for the entire movie.

When he dropped me off, he leaned in to kiss me… but I thought he might be getting a little too big for his britches, so I slowly backed away and slipped inside the house.

I knew we would see each other again as he had asked me out again during the drive to the movie—to attend a company dinner with him. He had a co-op job at Physics Applications, and the dinner was at Benihana.

When he introduced me to everyone there, he completely mispronounced my last name. The whole table burst out laughing, and the owner jokingly asked if he had just picked me up in the parking lot.

We went dancing later in the evening and that was when we had our very first kiss. I felt like I was with the love of my life. Not to sound too sappy, but I think we both felt that it was one of those rare, perfect moments when you know something magical is happening.

Looking back now, that was the very first chapter of a journey that would lead us through decades of life together… and eventually onto the water aboard Bella Nova, chasing a dream called the Great Loop.

And of course, every great adventure needs a first mate.

That’s where Bella comes in. 🐾⛵

Goofing off

“Gran”, Dad, Linda and Howard at Gran’s house.

Howie and Linda on their wedding day, Sept. 19, 1987.

Mom and Dad Plevyak with us on our wedding day.

Mom and Linda at the San Francisco bridge in August 2013.