After dreadfully deciding to return to Illinois State and finish out her last semester of college in the Fall of 2012, Julie met a random roommate on Facebook after hearing that a friend of a friend had a four bedroom apartment on campus and needed three other roommates. Julie moved to Broadway Avenue that Fall and planned to finish her last two credit hours of classes before graduating in December. One late summer night in August, Julie and her near stranger roommate decided to go outside and socialize and meet the neighbors. Julie noticed Bryan right away because he was in a bright yellow polo and he was in his room doing his homework instead of drinking beers (Steel Reserve) like the rest of his roommates. Julie thought to herself: I think I'll marry that man in the yellow polo and now her 'love at first sight' dream is coming true! Turns out, there was a bigger plan for Julie to return to school for her half semester than she had initially planned.

Julie graduated from Illinois State in December of 2012 and in January of 2013, Julie moved up to Chicago in an apartment with her good friend Cupe and thus began the long distance part of their relationship. Many long drives for short weekend trips back and forth on I55 were had while Julie worked in the city and Bryan finished up his degree at ISU while working at Kohls. After three years of back and forth, the stars finally aligned and Bryan moved up to Chicago in the summer of 2015 after accepting a job at a 3rd Party Logistics company. He moved up to the city in June of 2015 to their first apartment on Elmdale Avenue and the long distance was finally over along with his days at Kohls Customer Service. (Note: Every time we're at a Kohls, he has to announce to me that he could have processed the return faster than the high school girl behind the counter. He thinks he still has it)

6 years later, we've arrived at September of 2018. Enter: Stacy and Nick Custodio. After just celebrating their wedding a few months before, they spontaneously (so I thought) planned to come down to the city for a "city day" and we were going to walk around the zoo and the riverwalk. Turns out, Bryan had alternate plans. After walking around the zoo, we walked out and onto a bridge that overlooks Lincoln Park. Bryan proceeded to get down on one knee and ask Julie the question that she had hoped and planned their whole lives to answer. She said 'yes' and many hugs, tears and phone calls were shared. Turns out, when Julie first moved to the city in January of 2013, Bryan came to visit her and they walked on this very same bridge and took their first 'long-distance' selfie all bundled up. After the engagement, Bryan threw a surprise party at their favorite Mediterranean restaurant where a room full of their family (including Bryan's parents who drove up from Tennessee) and closest friends waited for them to celebrate. Bryan had been planning the whole day for months and every detail was perfect.