My Christmas Date with the College Track Star

Small-Town Illinois, December 2016

Last September as I was driving through small-town Illinois on the way back from Indianapolis, I met Ryan H., a University of Illinois freshman, previously a high school track star from a small town.

For the next three months we chatted on Facebook and Snapchat.  He invited me to visit him at Christmastime, and every now and then sent me a selfie to pique my interest.

I was torn -- 600 miles is a long way.

But look at him.  There was never really a doubt that I would go back in December for our date.










How was I to know that he would invite his three friends along?

















The full story, with an explanation of this photo, is on Tales of West Hollywood.