When Sam goes on a gay website looking for romance, he finds more than he bargained for. Rejecting all the usual requests for hook-ups, he searches for something more sincere. And he finds it in the most unexpected of places, as he is drawn to the profile of a man in a faraway place. Amir, an Algerian descended from desert nomads, has posted a profile looking for the love of his life. Sam finds it amazing that a gay man born in the Algerian desert has the bravery to not only declare he is gay, but also to admit his dream is to find a husband to spend his life with. While Sam doesn’t consider himself the marrying kind, he starts chatting with Amir, telling himself he just wants to learn about another culture. His friends laugh at him, saying this man just wants to use him to emigrate to the west and take him for his money. But he refuses to believe it, sensing a sincerity he has never seen with anyone else. The two begin a dialogue that moves to weekly Skype sessions, discussions of religion and world politics, assistance with life challenges and, finally, a declaration of love ... and an invitation. Can these two men from vastly different worlds and cultures meet and find common ground for a romance? The challenges are great, and spending a life together seems like an impossible dream. While Sam’s friends continue to discourage him, he knows he cannot give up this man. Is Amir sincere, or is Sam being used? There is only one way to find out if Amir is really sincere. And Sam knows what he has to do.

Not on My Bucket List

“Amir, I’m not going to be able to do it in March. The trip is going to cost too much. It will take me more time to save the money for it.” I didn’t tell him that I was not at all comfortable with the idea of sending my passport off to the embassy and hoping for the best.


He looked at me with that intense look, a look that I had long ago learned meant he was deep in thought, that something was troubling him. “I am disappointed,” he said slowly. “I am not sure that I can wait until the summer to see you. It is just too long. I dream of the day that we are together. I don’t know if I can hold out for that forever. It is just too long. Habibi, I must ask, do you have the same feelings?”


Chapter 12