Andrew and I matched on CoffeeMeetsBagel on May 30, 2019 while I was still living in Florida during my first year of residency and planning on moving to Philly one month later. I remember seeing his profile and thinking he was too good to be true, as we shared the same Catholic faith, were both resident physicians in Philly, and both loved outdoor adventures and dancing. ⁣ .⁣ Turns out he thought the same about me: Andrew sent me a sweet message mentioning specific details from my profile and we hit it off right away! We texted every day long distance, which turned into hour-long phone conversations, and I quickly learned what a caring, smart, and loving man he is. And most importantly, we were on the same page when it came to our religious beliefs and goals in life. ⁣ .⁣ We met for the first time the day after I moved to Philly and we have been inseparable since. We both knew each other was "the one" within a week, and we were already discussing marriage openly within the first month. Since then, we have traveled all over the U.S. and even visited Andrew's native Philippines together. Despite being from different cultures and even countries, we have all the same values, interests, and zest for life! Neither of us thought such a perfect partner could even exist for us until we met each other. We are best friends, soulmates, life partners, and each other's greatest blessing. ⁣ .⁣ Despite COVID postponing Andrew's engagement plans, we got engaged on June 9, 2020, my birthday! We are so excited to start our life together as husband and wife!

After four months on 6 dating apps, I had almost given up looking for a life partner. On May 30, 2019, I did not expect one woman to turn my life 180 degrees after matching on Coffee Meets Bagel. She was still in Davie, Florida at that time and was finishing up her internship before moving to Philadelphia on June 29, 2019, when we first met. We were texting and talking on the phone daily for about a month. While I was helping her unpack her boxes, I was stunned to learn the innumerable religious items she started to place on the walls, desk, and side tables. This is just one of the momentous events that led me to learn all about her culture and faith which I cherish and love in the succeeding months. From the first two weeks, I already knew she was the one. I was looking for someone who would challenge me all the time and here I am always on my toes waiting to be startled for the next surprise. We shared the same faith, goals, love for food, adventure, the outdoors, and dancing. Every date just turned into a bond that couldn’t be broken. Within two months, we were already traveling together and flying to the West Coast. Our hands couldn’t be separated from each other even as we ran back to catch the ferry boat from Bainbridge Island in Seattle. Like trees standing side by side, our roots were deeply enmeshed on the ground by the third month. We enriched each other’s souls by becoming stronger together through difficult times like residency program transitioning, jaw surgery, and COVID infection. We support each other’s dreams and ambitions as we grow to become better versions of ourselves. I met Ashley’s parents by the fifth month and she had met mine in the eighth month. I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life loving and caring for Ashley, so I proposed to her on her birthday on June 9, 2020 in the 18th Century Garden in Philadelphia and she said YES!