Manita and I planned our first date online after I relentlessly pursued her, asking three times for a date. We first met at a restaurant in the East Village. At my first look at Manita I thought “Oh my god she’s gorgeous”, after I collected myself with a mindful breath, the realization that the restaurant was full set in, calamity was afoot. However, a tactically planned backup reservation avoided disaster. There was an initial awkwardness, based on Manita’s obvious displeasure with the planning, that was remedied with effortless conversation and well timed jokes, a duty Manita made all too easy for me. The restaurant, although quite full, was fairly dull except the lone corner where we sat making a ruckus. Even though we came from completely different cultures and parts of the earth our experiences were eerily similar. Manita would tell me about an entertaining story with her friends in school and I’d have almost a replica story on deck. On and on we went, I distinctly remember looking around the quiet restaurant and thinking “We should be the most awkward people here, but we’re the ones who feel like old friends”, also realizing why this restaurant was the backup option. Our conversation continued past hilarious stories of youth and into our relationships with our family. I could feel Manita’s deep admiration for everyone in her household and I’d realized we also shared the same values. Our relationship took root in exactly that: joyful company and shared values. We went on to live out our dreams of a loving romance in NYC, we went to Broadway shows, rooftop bars, the opera, picnics, cooking dates, restaurants from all different cuisines, comedy shows and much more, we got to explore New York together. Now please join us for our next, and biggest, step in our adventure, and all we ask is you bring all the excitement you can muster to the wedding!