Our Story

How We Met (Chris)

Chris had been striking out terribly on all the dating apps. He sent notes to the black hole of the internet and never got a response. He had liked this girl Emily's profile on OKCupid but received nary a response (Emily will have to look this phrase up). And then his inbox on Match pinged. And Emily had responded to his like there. Yes, it was the same Emily and yes she totally ignored my message weeks prior. Chris's initial reaction from Emily's profile: she looks "sporty", "friendly", "loves to hike", "has friends" (didn't realize how many friend groups), "was a teacher" and overall was "pretty cute". Most of those things are actually true even though hiking consists of anything under 2,000 feet :) We met at a bar near Fenway and had awkward conversation as all first dates go. We spoke about our families, board games and our jobs. It was a good first date (apparently Chris received an 8 on the rating scale).

How We Met (Emily)

In a time when her phone was filled with names like Josh OkC and Mac Coffee Meets Bagel, Emily got minimally dolled up for yet another date. She hoped for some good conversation with a decent guy who would earn a score above 7 on the completely arbitrary text-the-girls 10-pt date scale. Emily had not checked OkCupid for a few days the week she messaged Brab04 on Match. He was a decent looking guy with a hiking profile picture (check), pictures with friends & family (check x2), and no shirtless gym selfies (check). When she did check OKC a day or two later she saw that he had messaged her there already! An online meet-cute! The date went well! It was clear that Chris was a genuinely good guy. When he explained his job Emily didn’t follow what he said so she smiled politely and didn’t pay attention (a pattern that continues frequently when he explains the stock market). At the end of the date he walked her to the T and it was history from there… he earned a 9.5.

Moving (Too?) Fast (Chris)

In true Emily fashion, she quickly wanted to schedule the next date (mostly because her calendar fills up so fast). So there we sat for Saturday Brunch at Sound Bites in Somerville. It was another good date that culminated in a tour of a small tower in a nearby park where a local was sharing a story about its history. After 30 seconds of listening to the story, Chris realized for the first time Emily's lack of attention span since she had stopped listening. A few months later and they were a couple. Well, in Emily's mind. And that's where the first real obstacle to this marriage was overcome.

The Pursuit (Emily)

With online dating momentum is important. Chris and Emily met for their second date less than a week later and continued to see each other regularly from there. When during the third week Chris took Emily to a Trombone Shorty concert (likely because he couldn’t find anyone else to join him) she started to really like him - good taste in music and he likes activities! Emily knew she was doing something right when Chris introduced her to some very important people in his life early on. Chris was adamant that it was solely for pragmatic reasons but Emily read way too much into the early introduction and was very excited. She believes they were a couple a few months before Chris does, clearly she has a better memory.

The Roadblock (Chris)

Emily is not a fan of Uganda. It's not about the place or the people but it's what it represents in our relationship. Having already gone on several dates, Chris went on a service trip to Uganda, a completely selfless trip that was pretty awesome. If you didn't know wifi and cell service can be hard to come by in Uganda and due to this, Chris only responded to Emily (and anyone else) a few times. He was focused on enjoying the trip and Emily was pining for this guy she didn't know what to make of. After 17 days away, Chris came back knowing he neglected others on his trip; mainly the Saugus Girls Basketball team, who had already begun their season. Knee deep in catching up on work and coaching, he didn't make enough time for Emily and thus Uganda is not a fond memory. However, after better communication, Chris and Emily continued to see each other and three months later in March became "boyfriend and girlfriend" (Emily has it in her calendar as late January).

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part (Emily)

Emily is NOT not a fan of Uganda. If you’ve been reading along then you’ve already learned how momentum is key in a relationship, so when Chris left for a 3 week trip only 2 months after their first date, it put a bit of a ? above the relationship (“relationship”?). Emily turned down countless advances by other men while Chris was gone in hopes that when he returned he would be so excited to see her -- she hadn’t learned Chris and “so excited” rarely mix. Chris returned to the U.S. and did not immediately tell Emily he was back. She was crushed. This was the first of many times that misaligned expectations led to a bit of a disappointment, but strong communication has helped them move past this and build a strong and forever relationship. Note - The Uganda trip is also the only time since his first date with Emily that Chris was kissed by another girl! She was a 14 ft tall beauty with irresistible long lashes and large freckles... she gave him quite a lot of tongue. Em forgave him.

And then we dated...

It was great!

The Leap (Chris)

The next step was moving in together, right? Well, Emily was nervous to ask the question and waited several months to pop the question of co-habitating. And while Emily was fully invested in the idea, Chris wanted to think over the idea (sense a trend here?) Now don't get me wrong, while Emily thinks that the thought hadn't crossed my mind, it was still a decision Chris wanted to think about (mostly for the sake of his roommates) who would soon be crushed by the news :( And then they were hot on an apartment search, looking way too early for the Boston market on a September lease schedule. And while both agreed that (a few months) patience was needed for more inventory to come on the market, it didn't stop Chris's inbox from being filled with messages from Emily about apartment listings. After a stressful 60 days, they finally found a place to call home :)

Moving In Together! (Emily)

What if he says no? What if he says no!? But he didn’t, he said “yea I think we’re ready for that step.” Emily and Chris decided to move in together in the Fall of 2019, and she loved him enough to move to the dark side of the river (Cambridge/Somerville, which she now loves). Finding an apartment is always a hassle and Emily was a bit antsy to find something as soon as possible, but they ended up finding a place they both are really happy with. They love how close they are to friends, walking paths, Davis Square, and Arlington Center, and little did they know it would become their home office for months!

Co-habitating (Chris)

Like all couples, we've had our ups and downs but overall have embraced each other's quirks to put together a pretty great existence. From board games to pickleball to hosting trivia, we like to keep busy and active with friends and with each other. We respect each others boundaries, embrace all our positive qualities and consistently support one another in our pursuits. We've also endured a lot. Who knew when we first moved in together that Chris would have to be the sole source of in-person human connection for Emily for at least 6 months. Or that Emily would have to do 65% of the dishes. Or that Chris would dominate the Cousins Lords of Waterdeep games. Or that Emily would have to deal with Chris after winning those games. Or that Chris would have to deal with the other "boyfriend" (Steph) that gave Emily plenty of bad advice. Or that we'd survive a couples trip with Nick and Christy to Glacier National Park (and that Emily could do the full Highline trail!).

The Bliss of Chris (Emily)

Living together is wonderful and perfect, we get to talk about our days every day, cuddle every night, cook dinner together… ehhh, not quite… Living together is great and we're enjoying starting our lives together. We make a good team, play off of each other’s strengths, and support each other in their interests. We love organizing events like trivia and pickleball, and both would always rather be doing activities than just hanging out. Chris still beats me 60% of the time at Terraforming Mars (we have a spreadsheet), but we’ve balanced our competitiveness with working together through countless escape-esque puzzle style games during and after quarantine. Having Chris by my side makes all (most) of my experiences better. While we’re still working out our pickleball communication, there’s no doubt that we dominate the court together. Whether it’s tackling Glacier, hiking in New Hampshire, or figuring out an impossible puzzle, he’s the partner I want for it all.

The Future

And then came the proposal on Mount Major. Emily had no idea it was coming and Chris was relieved to get it over with. With a full audience of hikers and awesome stranger who recorded the proposal, it is a moment we will not forget. We are both excited for the next step. One that will mean a life together that's not perfect but is perfect for us. One that includes all our friends and family and hopefully some little ones that will take more after Chris. It will be a life full of board games, bringing people together and supporting one another no matter what is thrown our way.