A couple weeks after meeting online, Jake made plans for them to grab dinner at one of his favorite restaurants downtown - Condado. Jake arrived 10 minutes early, nervous that Beth wouldn't recognize him from his profile because he had just gotten a haircut. Beth was 5 minutes early and, in the words of Jake, loved lovely. After the slightly awkward hello, they went in and sat down. Jake ordered queso for them to share, which made Beth happy. Jake was feeling under the weather, so he left most of it for Beth, making her very happy. After talking for a little while, they decided to take a walk along the river and continue the conversation. Beth went in for one last chip and they were off. They walked for about 20 minutes. Beth talked about growing up overseas and shared some of her favorite travel stories. Jake had just returned from his first trip to Europe, so he tried to relate as best as he could. She also shared about the books that she liked, family pets they had growing up, and how her job was going. They parted ways, hopeful for the future.

At the beginning of June, Beth's parents visited from Niger and finally met Jake just before he had to travel to Italy for work. After Jake's week of meetings, Beth joined him, excited for what they would do in Italy. Little did Beth know, (especially because Jake said "do not expect a ring on this trip") Jake was planning more than just tours. The dreamy day in Venice began with a delicious breakfast, when Jake realized that this would be his last meal as a boyfriend. A short walk later, Jake and Beth boarded a gondola. Once they were away from the buzz of the city, Jake got down on one knee, did not capsize the gondola, and popped the question. The rest is history.

We are excited to announce our wedding date will be June 1, 2024. We look forward to celebrating our big day, but are even more excited for the marriage and future we are building,