Born and raised in San Diego, I spent my first 29 years building a successful career in corporate recruiting, earned my degree from University of California, Irvine, and created a life I was proud of — which included my own apartment, my independence, and my dog, Petey. Still, in 2018, I began to feel pulled to leave my west-coast bubble. In 2022, that pull became clear: I was moving to Saint Paul. I had only visited once, but it felt undeniably right. I trusted my gut and drove four days across the country — two flat tires, a sleepy dog in the backseat, and a few tears along the way. The first months were a whirlwind of new beginnings, new friends, and even moved apartments twice. Yet I never doubted I was exactly where I was meant to be. Eight months after arriving, on March 26, 2023, I met Frank. I walked into my 3rd floor neighbor’s apartment party and noticed his calm presence and strong side-profile right away (he was too bashful to look at me head-on). He spent the evening making sure I was comfortable — refilling my drink and even indulging my spontaneous request to try the building’s jacuzzi, despite not bringing a swimsuit. We left without exchanging numbers but quickly found a means to reconnect (I searched up and found his TikTok while he asked my neighbor for my phone number). Frank calls our love a “slow burn,” but to me, it’s been both steady and sweeping — equal parts passion and patience. After a year of growing together, meeting each other’s families, and watching Petey fall in love with him too, I moved into Frank’s home. That house — now our home — is the heart of our story. It carries the history of his late sister Tessie and her late husband John, the marks of their children’s heights on doorframes, and the memory of their love that lived here before us. It’s where we’ve built new traditions, filled the kitchen with my home-cooked meals, where Petey’s toys now litter the backyard, and where, by the fireplace, Frank asked me to marry him. I once told my nana I had to kiss a few frogs to find a prince. Frank is truly that — handsome, kind, loyal, patient and strong in character. My real-life Prince Charming. We are endlessly grateful for the divine guidance that brought me to Saint Paul, that allowed our paths to cross that March evening, and that continues to lead us into this next chapter of marriage. We cannot wait to celebrate our wedding day with the people we love most and begin this next chapter together. Let the journey continue!