The really great part of the story, to me, was that we found each other very quickly. I had been on countless dates over a number of years from a variety of sources, too many to list, but apparently BUMBLE was the way to go. Bumble’s concept is similar to Tinder but with two big differences: once you match with someone, you, the woman are the only one who can initiate a conversation. Additionally, you have just 24 hours to start a conversation before the guy vanishes back into the pool of possibilities. This means I had to get ready to cut out the intro lines and get a little brave! My opening line to “TRISTAN” his name that appeared on the app, “Hi, I have had a crush on you for 6 hours!” Well apparently that’s all it took because we instantly gravitated toward one another and started a textlationship. One of the first thing’s “Tristan” told me was, “So Tristan is not my real name. My real name is Chris.” Great first impression “Tristan.” Well, I didn’t believe him until I went on YouTube to see him “slapping the bass man” sporting black dyed hair and eyeliner. This needless to say sparked my interest. The last week of April 2016 we went on our first date to The Dawson in River North, literally blocks from where I was living at the time. When I arrived, Chris was standing in the lobby doting an unforgettable smile. I was nervous, but this date felt different. He walked up to the hostess stand and asked, “Hi, reservations for 2- Panio.” What, whoa, rewind. You made a dinner res?! That was just the beginning of a magical evening. I tried oysters for the 2nd time in my life, and liked them. I learned that it was ok to like a guy shorter than 5’8 and that it was ok to admit that I liked riding in a Chrysler 300 with tinted windows and black rims. After dinner, he took me to his fav bar in Bucktown, where I spilled a drink on him (yikes). I won’t bore you with the details but he did drive me home and kissed me goodnight, so I guess I didn't screw it up too much.

Katie: After our second date, Chris and I lost touch for about 3 weeks, or as I like to say he fell off a cliff. A very, big, long cliff. We re-connected upon my return from California in mid May when I tagged him in a post on Facebook of one of our favorite artists to this day- KYGO. After that we kept hanging out regularly and we became inseparable. Chris: First, let me clear up a few things. For starters, Tristan was my band name. Not some creepy online profile alter ego. I can't help that Bumble took my Facebook page's info. Had I known, I would have created a second Facebook page and called myself 'Lil Rico' or something to that extent. And secondly, it's called stage make-up, not eyeliner (or, even worse, "guyliner"). And yes, guys shorter than 5'8" are real people and can be likeable from time to time.

Now that that's cleared up, lets fast forward about 9 months after I allegedly "fell off a cliff" (#eyeroll) when my annual Disney World trip with the girls was upon us. Spending my own spring breaks as a kid in Orlando, Disney World holds a special place in my heart. And watching my girls, Frankie and Reese, lose their minds at the Disney attractions, like fainting Eastern Europeans at a Michael Jackson concert circa '85, was something I wanted Katie to witness and be apart of. Thankfully, Katie graciously agreed to join us (and unknowingly was on the hook for half of stroller and "carry me my legs are tired" detail (#winning). The girls had already grown quite fond of Katie (to the point where I pretty much became second chair) and I had known for months that she was the one so to have included her in our Disney extravaganza meant more to me than she could have possibly known. So where else would I consider popping the question?? And better yet, who else would do a better job of coordinating a surprise "engagement" night than Mickey and friends? So after paying a fee that could have probably financed the next Disney movie, our night was set: dinner followed by a romantic private boat cruise around Disney World's lagoon, capped off with a firework display over Cinderella's Castle. And despite waking up at 2 a.m. to board our flight to Orlando, Katie (as always) didn't make a fuss about going out on the first night of the trip. I tried to hide my nervousness as we listened to our boat captain share the history of Walt and Co. I only wish I could've remembered what the guy was saying except I was too concerned that I'd lose the ring that had been in my pocket for 8 hours! I bet it was interesting and informative.

As the boat tour came to a end, we dropped anchor. A first row seat on the water in front of the Magic Kingdom for the grand finale. With music in the background and the fireworks underway, I asked Katie to stand up with me. I had this whole speech worked out in my head. It was going to be epic. Like if George C Scott's speech in 'Patton' and Lincoln's Gettysburg address had a baby. Sadly, as I got down on one knee and pulled the box out of my pocket and opened it up, all I could muster up was "Katie" followed by some incoherent babbling. Looking back, not my greatest moment. Katie, the smart one in the couple, saw the ring and put two and two together. And despite my failed speech, the woman of my dreams said yes.