10/3/2026

Ben: We are a modern couple, so we found each other on Hinge! I saw her profile and immediately noticed her humor, values, and beauty. I liked her profile and we matched soon after. After I knew we could laugh together, we set a date at a local ramen house with an old-school style arcade on the second floor. I remember seeing her and immediately becoming way too nervous. Could I keep this gorgeous woman interested? Of course, our connection came naturally as we talked about life and shared our stories. Yet the major test was the arcade. I had to earn the right to take her on a second date by winning at skee ball. I ended up crushing her. Was that unnecessary? Yes, but that is how I roll (...). The entire staff was shocked, and the manager even came by to shake my hand. Of course, she beat me at Tetris (one of my favorite games growing up), and I came back down to earth. All in all, a perfect first date! Kelsey: So after redownloading Hinge for another go at online dating, Hinge blessed me with deciding my "Most Compatible Match". Now usually, these were bogus and I simply would ignore their meddling into my love life, but when Ben's profile popped up in this section and I saw his kind eyes and smile, I knew that he was someone worth not swiping left on. However, I didn't want to look "desperate" so I had to wait for him to like me first. So for a few days, I had to keep exiting out of the app until he liked me first so that I wouldn't lose his profile. After three LONG days of repeating this cycle, I finally logged in and was jumping with joy when I saw that my most compatible match "liked" me!!!! I sent my "like" back and our conversation flowed from there. He was engaging and made me laugh, which was so refreshing! He took initiative and set up a date at a local ramen/arcade bar, because my profile said I was a champion at skee ball. After we had our ramen, we went upstairs to the arcade, where he BARELY beat me at my game...the machine was rigged...and the staff even compensated us our quarters back because of the machines not being up to standard. Even with that minor issue, I felt the spark and I was smiling the entire time. He walked me back to my apartment and after we said goodbye, I went inside and definitely did a happy dance (ask my old doorman Bob for video footage). He texted me when he got home and the rest is history :)

Ben: I had been looking up when to say “I love you” in a relationship. The advice I kept getting was about six months. Thankfully, we were five months, so we were still in the sweet spot. One night, I woke up and heard a strange noise flying around the room. Barkley (our dog) was alert, and I thought there was a big bug and tried falling back to sleep. Lo and behold, it was a bat. I exited the room in the manliest (and quickest) way possible. Unfortunately, my heroic and strategic retreat let the bat escape. I knew this was going to be a problem because Kelsey might never step foot in the house again unless I could guarantee a bat-proof home. So I bought a bunch of protective gear (mask, gloves, eyewear) and weapons (brooms) from Home Depot. Kelsey and I geared up and cleared the entire house floor by floor. We examined all points of entry and ensured no bat could get into our living area. This was a brave ordeal in and of itself. Yet, we had our first argument that night over how many measures to take in order to ensure the house was safe. It is so easy to avoid conflict, but that is not how a relationship survives. It was uncomfortable to disagree, but we stayed in it. We found a way to turn the present situation into a compromise. I soon realized that I wanted to find a compromise so badly because I loved her. If our relationship can survive a bat, I am pretty sure it can survive anything. Kelsey: If anyone knows me, they know I am always calm, cool and collected when dealing with bugs and flying animals...so when Ben told me there was a bat in his house that he couldn't find, I absolutely did not come back with all of the isolation gear from the hospital and absolutely was not in complete panic mode...! So I got back to his house after my shift at work and we garbed up and searched every inch of the house. No bat was found and this was not at all something that put me into a higher level of panic. We decided it was late and the bat was probably either back in the attic or went outside so we put on our brave faces and made a makeshift bed on the couch downstairs. After confusion on how many layers of blankets one would need to feel protected from the bat, we had our first disagreement. As uncomfortable as a first fight is, Ben was someone that I wanted to get through it with and find a way to come out stronger. The next morning when we were discussing the incident, it was clear just how important we were to one another. I remember Ben *not* tearing up and looking away for a second and then looked back at me and said how much he loved me. I also did *not* tear up and said it right back as giddily as ever. The bat was never found but we found something so much more important that day. I have a quote from Ben in my Notes app on my phone saying "Life is much easier with you than without you" and this just continues to ring true to this day. I love you Ben Mitchell <3

Ben: We went with my (our) family to Norway during winter 2024 (Kelsey didn’t know it at the time, but she actually chose that destination). Anyway, we were on a bus with a tour group chasing the northern lights. For context, this was our third tour, and almost everyone was exhausted. We had been up till 3 or 4 a.m. every night in a place with only two hours of sunlight. Not only that, but we had already gotten lucky and seen an incredible northern lights show earlier in the evening. But at 2 a.m., our tour guide saw a little glimmer and stopped the bus to ask if people wanted to get out and see if the lights would appear again. No one was getting up. I mean, the tour guide himself said it was a very slim chance to see the northern lights this late at night. Plus, it was -10 degrees, and everyone wanted to sleep. Of course, Kelsey immediately shoots up and sprints out of the bus at full speed. And because I am supportive and did not want to get judged by our family, I followed. It was just us and the tour guide out there as the whole bus was waiting to go to bed. It was cold and dark, but we were laughing and warm. Any place with Kelsey feels like home in front of the fireplace. Naturally, the lights made another appearance, and everyone else got off the bus to have a second look. I just remember looking at her and realizing she is going to make the most out of this life. Every single time I thought I knew everything wonderful about her, she showed me something else. I had never met anyone like her, and I would be so lucky to be her husband. Kelsey: The Aurora was something I've always wanted to see my whole life but seeing her with Ben was something out of a fairytale and it was just the most amazing feeling I can't even describe. That moment was so entirely special and confirmed how I never wanted this man out of my life. For me, wanting to spend forever with Ben was a combination of little moments that never stopped growing. From the beginning, he made me feel safe and seen and he made me realize that everyone who said "it's worth the wait" was actually completely correct. The moment that I knew for sure came in September 2024 when I was racing in the 90-miler Adirondack Canoe Classic with Brittany, Charlotte, and Caroline in memory of my dad, who used to race it every year. Ben was going to head up after work on Friday to watch Day 2 and 3 of the race. I didn't have my phone in the boat so I didn't get to talk to him until Friday evening. He had called and explained that he was a few hours into the drive and had gotten a call from the dog sitter who said there was an emergency and Ben had to turn around. He told me that he was planning on going back and then bringing Barkley with him. I said that was so nice but don't do that because it's so much driving and he really won't be seeing us race as he won't get here until the race is over. Flash forward to Saturday, we finished that portion of the race and we were wet, cold, and exhausted pulling into the finish line. We just wanted to get out of that boat and go back to the Airbnb. As we pulled up to the dock, I see my mom and a dog that looked like Barkley, and looked a little further and see Ben standing there smiling and I immediately burst into tears. I was filled with so much happiness and seeing him warmed me right up. He told me that he had started the drive and about 2 hours in, he got a flat tire! Between that and the dog sitter the night before, I was sure he would have turned around, but nope! He got the tire fixed in Syracuse and continued on up to the Adirondacks, just in time to see us pull into the finish line. He went through so much to get up to the race because he knew how important it was to me because I was doing this for my dad. I knew in that instant that this is someone who would support me no matter what. I knew then I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man and that he was more than I ever could have imagined!