have kindly sponsored

I applied for my MA at the University of London really on a whim, never expecting to be able to go, but year later, very nervous and excited, I left on a 4 AM flight bound for London. I didn't just fall in love with the country; I also fell for a classmate. Somehow I managed to stay on well past my degree, but then, like all visas, mine had a limit. After two years in the U.K., immigration decided I'd had enough Britannia for any one American and I left for Detroit.

Gareth and I have been apart for a year now, and I think when British Airways and MCI have board meetings, they base their profit margins on our patronage.

He is 25 and I am 26. Vital statistics include: we are both exceptionally gorgeous and wealthy. Okay, maybe not so accurate. We've been together for about 2 1/2 years now. This September I'll be moving back to London and on top of flying back and forth all the time planning the wedding, Ill be studying for my PGCE, the British version of a teaching certification. Like all brides, I am excited and this time my visa will have no limitations since being engaged is (no lie) an official immigration status.

This story will have more twists and turns than the A4 and more drama than EastEnders. And since I only recently got engaged (Gareth walked off a plane about a month ago and asked me before he even said 'hello'), I'll be able to share practically every bit of news. At the very least my wedding will provide a lot of entertainment to all involved, but hopefully it will show how it is possible to make it through one of the most surreal experiences of one's life.

23 August 1999, Stacie Lewis