It’s A Match!

As a new Raleigh resident and deep in my graduate program, I was ready to start dating. I downloaded the dating app, Tinder and soon after received a notification saying “It’s A Match!” On the other end of the notification was Calvin. Our first date was at my favorite hole in the wall, O’ Malley’s and we shared a bowl of mac and cheese bites and a few brews. Being the Target- obsessed teacher that I am, I suggested we go to the nearby Target and Calvin went along with the idea. After two hours of strolling up and down the aisles, it was safe to say that Calvin was truly my match and the rest is history. Amidst the pandemic, I soon got offered a job in Richmond, Virginia and Calvin followed me. We found a place together and acclimated to city living. I knew Calvin was the one because he introduced me to a number of things that typically were outside of my comfort zone. Before we met, I was a hardcore DC fan. I loved all of the films and most of the heroes. One of the first things Cal and I did was rewatch Infinity War, Endgame, and Black Panther. He also was the first person to actually get me to watch Captain America: Civil War and The Iron Man trilogy. Throughout the two year span of our relationship, the MCU has been pretty central. Whether it’s binging shows, rewatching the films in timeline order, or going to Movie Theatre Showings opening weekend…it’s definitely one of the things we consider a tradition. Calvin is a huge movie buff as it is and continues to blow me away with his film knowledge and love for the cult classics. I have enjoyed every minute of the past two years by Cal’s side. With our wedding only 10 months away, it is giving us a good amount of time to reflect and prepare as we enter this new stage. Our wedding will only share a few pieces of our relationship but we are so excited to have all of people we love come along and celebrate with us. Thanks for stopping by! Cheers, Ari & Cal