When Love Met Me After Survival

This episode is personal.

In this solo chapter of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I open up about the season of my life when everything quietly began to change — not because the past disappeared, but because I slowly learned that something steady could exist alongside it.

I share the story of meeting my husband Jeff after leaving an abusive relationship, returning to Houston, and trying to piece myself back together while still carrying fear, self-doubt, and unhealed trauma. From an unexpected reconnection, to navigating prom when I thought that chapter had passed me by, this episode isn’t about a fairy tale — it’s about what happens when love meets you after survival and chooses to stay.

This is a story about:

• Healing that isn’t linear
• Loving while still afraid
• Reclaiming moments you thought you missed
• And learning that love doesn’t save you — it walks beside you

If you’ve ever felt behind, broken, or unsure whether a gentler chapter was still possible for you, this episode is for you.

So grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and join me as I share the chapter where love didn’t fix everything — but helped me keep going.

#healing #personalstories #relationships #selfdiscovery #love #trauma #resilience #growth #journey #self-acceptance

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 0:30 2026 Vision
• 1:34 Welcome to Travel Time Stories
• 2:27 The Story Begins
• 5:21 First Sighting
• 7:04 Guest Invitation
• 7:44 Meeting Jeff Again
• 9:13 The First Date
• 10:56 First Impressions
• 11:49 What I Really Needed
• 13:18 Closing

Transcript

 Introduction

I want to be clear about something before I go any further. This isn't a story about love fixing everything. It's not about being rescued, and it's not about a perfect ending. It's about what happens when someone meets you after survival and chooses to stay. 

2026 Vision

Before we get into today's story, I wanna share something with you because if you've been listening to Travel Time Stories, you're part of this journey with me. 26 is going to look a little different for this podcast, but in the best way, we're going deeper into real life stories, healing, growth, love, identity.

Travel, not as escape, but as expansion. You'll hear more solo episodes where I share parts of my own story I haven't talked about yet, and more conversations with guests who aren't here to impress. They're here To be honest, this podcast has never been about having it all figured out. It's about walking through the chapters together.

If you're in a season of becoming 2026, it's for you. Thank you for being here, truly. Now, let's get back to the story.

 Welcome to Travel Time Stories

Welcome to Travel Time Stories with Shannon, where real journeys meet real stories and healing happens one conversation at a time. I'm your host Shannon, coming to you from the  Lone Star state of Texas.   Some weeks I share pieces of my own life story from travel adventures to the very real journey of healing and growth.

 Other weeks I'm joined by my best friend and co-host Ann. From Missouri as we sat down with guests who open up, get honest and share the lessons that help them find their way forward.  If you've ever felt stuck searching or just in need of a good story that reminds you, you're not alone, you're in the right place.

  So grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and let's get into it.  

The Story Begins

Before we begin, I wanna say this gently. This episode is personal, not polished, not perfect, just honest. If you've been listening for a while, you know I've shared pieces of my story, the hard parts, the confusing parts, the chapters I didn't choose but had to survive.

And if you're new here, this is your invitation into a story that isn't about arriving. It's about continuing. For a long time, my life felt like a series of restarts,  new schools, new environments,  new versions of myself, new ways of trying to feel safe, loved, or enough.  I learned early how to adapt, how to observe, and how to survive, but what I didn't learn, or at least not right away.

Was how to believe that something steady could last.   This episode,  this is about the chapter when that belief started to change. It's about meeting Jeff not as a fairytale moment, but as a quiet shift. It's about going to prom and reclaiming something I once thought I'd missed forever.  It's about getting engaged while still carrying fear.

It's about standing at my wedding, knowing that love didn't erase my past, but met me where I was and said, we can build from here. I want to be clear about something before I go any further. This isn't a story about love fixing everything. It's not about being rescued,  and it's not about a perfect ending.

It's about what happens when someone meets you after survival and chooses to stay.  As I share this, I'm holding space for every version of myself that didn't think this chapter was possible. For anyone listening who feels behind, broken or late to their own life. If that's you, I want you to know this episode isn't meant to convince you of anything.

 It's simply proof that chapters can change even when the story has been heavy. This part of my story isn't about perfection.  It's about choosing to keep showing up even when I didn't know what was next.  So if it feels safe,  take a breath with me right now.  Get comfortable and let me tell you about the chapter where love didn't save me.

But walked beside me while I learned how to keep going  

First Sighting

After escaping my abusive relationship with David.  Let me take a moment.  If you haven't listened to that story,  I encourage you to check out the four part series called The Devil I Love  Move to Houston, and tried to put my life back together.

And that's when I met my now husband, Jeff. But the truth is, I had seen Jeff before. The first time I ever saw him,  I was 12 years old before we moved away to Tennessee. My friend Brandi and I were having a sleepover at my sister Dawna's apartment. There were some guys hanging outside and I remember pointing at one of them and telling Brandi, that's the guy I'm going to marry one day.

I had no idea who he was.   after I moved, Brandi sent me a letter. Yes. An actual letter telling me she found out his name was Jeff Lamkin   I never forgot it, not his face, not his name.  A couple of years later, I saw him again while visiting my sister. One summer. Both of our families owned wrecker services and knew each other.

One night, my niece and I were riding in the wrecker with my sister when we met up with my brother-in-law and Jeff was riding with him and his wrecker, but I was still young, too young to be seen.  Jeff didn't notice me. Instead, he flirted with my niece who was his age and who had absolutely no interest in him.

 Guest Invitation

Before we continue, I wanna take a quick moment to open the door to you. If you have a personal life story to share, a journey of healing you walk through, or life lessons you've learned along the way, we would love to hear from you. We're always excited to welcome guests who are mentors. Authors, experts in healing philanthropy or spiritual guidance, and especially those who believe like we do, that stories connect us and help us grow.

If any of this sounds like you or someone you know, you can find all the details on how to be a guest in the show notes. Now, let's get back to the story.

 Meeting Jeff Again

Then life happens. Fast forward to me moving back to Houston. After my split with David.  I spent a lot of time at my friend Tina's house.  Her family was incredible. Her parents treated me like one of their own.  One night we were talking about prom and I mentioned I didn't have a date.  I'd been casually seeing her cousin, but that had just ended.

Her boyfriend, Dustin was outside working on his truck. And Tina suddenly said, I have an idea Dustin's best friend is single.  I think you should meet him.  I reluctantly agreed. We walked outside and as Dustin turned to greet us,  his friend came into view I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn't move.

My heart was pounding so loud.  I could hear it in my ears. My legs wouldn't work.  It was Jeff.  I turned pale, then I blushed, and when Tina introduced us,  I could barely squeak out a hello.  Jeff glanced at me,  said hello, and went right back to working on the truck In that moment. My hopes were completely dashed.

 The First Date

Later that evening, Tina told me, Dustin said Jeff was interested and they had already arranged for us to go on a double date the next night,  the next evening came  and went. No, Jeff. This was pre-cell phone days.  No texting,  no checking in.  I eventually resigned myself to the ideal  that I'd been stood up.  I had made sure I was looking fire and this guy didn't even bother to show up for me.

  The insecurities came flooding back. Full force, low self worth  rejection hours later. Jeff finally showed up. He said he'd been at a classic car meet with my brother-in-law and couldn't leave.  I was angry and hurt, but Tina and Dustin convinced me to still go out, so I reluctantly agreed. We went to a bar.

I was terrified. I was underage,  had never been to a bar,  and was convinced I'd get caught or kicked out. Neither happened, but the night was awkward.  I was hurt  and nervous and completely out of my comfort zone.  

Jeff apologized, but I felt like if he were truly interested, it wouldn't have happened in the first place.  By the end of the night though, things softened, the conversation flowed and I realized he was funny.  

First Impressions

My first impression of Jeff as his child was that he was cute. I loved his curly blonde hair. It was literally my favorite thing about him.

 He was fun and exciting.  My first impression of Jeff as an older version of myself. Still cute, still fun. But after that late arrival, I also thought he was kind of an asshole and definitely outta my league,  and yet. Something felt familiar,  like he had known pain too.  I think that's what drew me to him.  He felt like a kindred spirit.

Someone who had been hurt, someone broken, like myself at that time, broken, felt safe.  

What I Really Needed

I wanna be honest here. I had deep self-esteem issues long before Jeff and after David. They were amplified. I hadn't gone to therapy.

I hadn't really talked about what I'd been through with anyone. I was just trying to survive each day without falling apart  and in my broken teenage mind. I thought the solution was another boyfriend. Looking back now, what I needed most wasn't a relationship. It was reassurance, affection, understanding, and someone to stay.

 Jeff gave me some of that enough that I ignored the moments when I didn't feel chosen. But compared to what I had known before, he was kind, he wasn't controlling and he didn't try to own me. And at that time, that felt like love.  So what happened next? What did prom mean to someone who thought she'd missed her chance?

How did our relationship grow and fracture and deepen and what really happened at that prom and the private after party in a hotel room? That's the next chapter.  

Closing

As we wrap up today's episode,  I hope something in this conversation stayed with you, maybe a thought, a feeling, or a reminder that your journey matters too.

If this episode resonated, I'd love for you to share it with someone who might need it, and don't forget to follow or subscribe so you never miss a story. Thank you for spending this time with me and being part of the Travel Time Stories community. Until next time, keep making memories for life.