Like many a modern romance, Danielle and Brandon met at a bar. An elevated bar and restaurant, you may wonder? No. A friendly neighborhood dive, perhaps? Nope. Danielle and Brandon met at the Utica gem known as Sickenberger's -- a mostly-outdoor-establishment known for its rowdy crowds, live music, and lack of proper lavatories. It was here, in 2016, that Danielle first laid eyes (IRL) on Brandon as he strolled through the front doors with his ripped Nirvana tee shirt and confident attitude. While Danielle and Brandon were indeed strangers, she knew of him through mutual friends. Luckily one of those friends was with her that night and able to make the introduction as she and Danielle brazenly walked over, $5 jack-and-cokes in tow. Before long, Danielle and Brandon were talking, laughing, and shared a dance or two throughout the night. The connection was clear but, alas, like any good love story, it could not be that simple. Danielle no longer lived in Utica and had to return to her life in NYC. While she and Brandon kept in touch, the Saranac-Thursday fling soon fizzled to nothing more than few-and-far between, casual SnapChat conversations. The pair went about their lives, hours and miles apart. Fast-forward nearly a year later, and Danielle received a unexpected ping on her Snap. It was from Brandon, who she hadn't spoken to in months. Still thriving in NYC, Danielle wrote it off. But after a couple of more consistent attempts from Brandon, Danielle had to know what he wanted. Was Brandon trying to reignite the spark they once had at Sickenberg's? As Rihanna once said, was it possible to 'find love' in such a 'hopeless place'? Turns out, Rihanna was onto something. After Danielle responded, she and Brandon talked constantly, getting to know each other and facetiming multiple times a week. Brandon, who had JUST finalized a move to Oregon, ended up inviting Danielle out to the West Coast weeks later. Off she went, telling only a close co-worker about her whereabouts, for fear that her parents and best friend/roommate, Michelle, would think she was crazy. That visit solidified everything she and Brandon intuitively knew all along: this was more than a fling. What happened from there, you may be wondering? Well... quite a lot. Danielle finally shared it all with her friends and family. Months later, after many visits, phone calls, and exchanging I love you's (Brandon said it first!) and pondering over how they would make this budding relationship work, ultimately, Danielle and Brandon took a big risk and moved in together. Danielle packed her bags for Oregon and the two never looked back. They bonded over their love of rock music and horror movies. Danielle helped take care of Brandon's first love, a pibble named Diablo, all along the way. And Brandon tirelessly supported Danielle's career ambitions and social-butterfly tendencies, which always kept them busy. They moved from Oregon to Washington, back to Oregon, then cross-country back home to NY, then a cozy stint in Massachusetts -- all over the course of four years -- until finally, they knew it was time for the next step. Brandon popped the question in Long Island, knowing how important it was to Danielle to have her family there. With a beautiful new ring and lots to look forward to, the couple finally settled into their first house together back where it all began: right outside of Utica, NY.