My husband’s personal growth work helped our relationship work.Mary Gardella
My husband’s personal growth work helped our relationship work.Mary Gardella
Melanie Spring, 44, met her husband, Dan Russell, 33, in 2017.
I first met my husband, Dan, in 2017 at a three-night sleepaway camp for entrepreneurs when I was 37 and he was 26. Think of the summer camp from “Dirty Dancing,” but for adults who are high achievers running their own ventures. There were activities like color war, breath work sessions, dance parties, and learning experiences.
I thought, OK, I’m single. Maybe if I hang out with a bunch of other high-achieving entrepreneurs, I can find someone who thinks like me but isn’t exactly like me.
When we first met, I thought he was too young, given our 11-year age gap. We’ve been married for five years and run a company together.
I thought he wanted me to be his mentor
The first night I got there, I was having dinner with the other campers, and Dan looked at me across the table before he said, “What’s your tattoo say?” I said “What’s your tattoo say?” Our tattoos were in a similar place on our right arm. That’s how our first conversation began.
I later found out that Dan was in the camp for people under 28. I thought he wanted me to be his mentor.
After the camp ended, I headed back to DC, and Dan headed back to Colorado. About two weeks after the camp ended, I posted on Facebook, “Hey, I’m headed to Colorado,” looking to see if any of the people I met at camp might be there. When Dan saw the post, he said, “Oh my gosh, I live in Breckenridge.” When I told him I was heading to the Jazz Aspen Snowmass festival, he said that maybe he’d come meet up. In my mind, I thought Breckenridge and Aspen were around the corner from each other, but they’re actually about three hours away. Dan still grabbed a ticket.
