We're Getting Married!

We crossed paths on a dating app numerous times before and after my college graduation with nothing more then pleasantries exchanged between us. Then one fateful night during COVID I invited Dorian to make the long trek from Riverview to South Side Saint Pete to keep me company and spend the night. Forward. I know. But I craved attention and affection especially during COVID. From there we'd exchange good morning texts, mid days "you got this", and sweet good night calls longing till the next time we got to see each other. Now, I was skeptical at first. I never really put a lot stock in men I met online. They were quick to disappear and they were not usually looking for something serious, something meaningful. But nights turned into days, days into weeks and before I knew it Dorian's presence in my life felt...right. After many "dates" in my small bedroom under LED lights we decided to change our status of "no strings attached" to "more than a little attached". To celebrate this new commitment we decided to have our first REAL date at the Florida Aquarium where we got to meet a rather enthusiastic penguin mascot! It was not long after this first date that I, in a very vulnerable way admitted "I think I love you".

Our first Halloween together was coming up and I wanted to do something fun as a couple. Every year, the Halloween party thrown by my employer turns out to be a lot of fun and full of wild memories. We had been dating for close to a year so I figured it would be a great way to introduce Corey to my work friends. Corey and I headed to Spirit Halloween looking for a couples costume to wow everyone. Turns out it’s a little difficult to find gay couples costume. We decided on Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy from SpongeBob SquarePants - a pair of retired superheroes spending their golden days together at the retirement home. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I thought we were the right amount of cute and silly. When the night of the party came we were both nervous and unsure about going, but I insisted we give it a try. Right before entering the bar Corey anxiously asked “You sure everyone’s going to be wearing a costume and we don’t look ridiculous?” I reassured him and we went inside. We were mortified when we walked in and not a single person in the first room of the bar had a costume on. To our relief, all the people with costumes just so happened to be on the patio outside. We ended up having a great time AND happened to secure the award of Best Costume!

If you thought we only attend music festivals at Hulaween, think again! We've been to many festivals around Florida one of which is Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival. It always falls around my birthday in March and for a couple years was how I celebrated another trip around the sun. Okeechobee is where I saw GRiZ for the first time and immediately fell in love with his energy, his music, and especially his saxophone! For the next two years I was fortunate to celebrate my birthday while listening to some funky saxophone beats. Little did I know Okeechobee 2023 would be the last time I saw GRiZ as he decided to take an indefinite hiatus shortly after the conclusion of Okee '23. While he was gone other artists he collaborated with would play the songs they made together at festivals but it never felt the same as seeing HIM play them.

In college I had lots of friends who attended music festivals and would tell me "If you've never been to one, Hulaween is a great start". As luck would have it Dorian introduced me to that very same festival at a music park called the Spirit of Suwannee. Our first Hula was...a learning opportunity. We were under prepared, under slept, under fed, and full of nerves. Despite the hurdles we faced that first day setting up camp, we overcame them and enjoyed a magical weekend listening to music and dancing with our friends! Upon reflection of this day I remember it as the first moment that reaffirmed Dorian's presence in my life felt...right. I knew that if I could set up a campsite on no sleep, in the middle of a dirty forest during a rainstorm and not want to break up on the spot. He has what it takes for the long haul.

When I was younger and daydreamed about what having a husband would be like, I imagined a life of adventure. Someone I could travel far and wide with to experience new and exciting things! From the beginning Dorian has always stepped up to that occasion and our trip to Nicaragua was no exception. We wasted no time as the first day we arrived we went ziplining through the jungle. High above the trees, looking out upon the vast greenery below was mesmerizing and as cheesy as it sounds I was on top of the world. The whole trip was breathtaking. We got to swim in a caldera, see authentic Warhols and Picassos, lounge at beach resorts complete with tropical drinks, wild monkey's up on river boat rides, gorgeous church's filled with the country's history. The trip was filled with what Dorian and I call "core memories"...even if all of our pictures from the trip were lost to the Cloud.

When Beyoncé dropped her album Renaissance we knew we had to catch her tour. We were delighted when she announced a Tampa stop at the Raymond James Stadium. We signed up for the presale alerts, waited in a queue to pick our seats, and paid way more than we’ve ever paid for concert tickets, but we knew it would be worth it. It was a hot and humid summer night but that didn’t stop Queen B from putting on a show. The stage visuals displayed a giant pride flag, her dancers vouged and danced on stilts, and she even flew through the sky on her crystal horse! The show was immaculate and everything we had hoped for from our first Beyoncé concert “So when the world’s at war, let our love heal us all”

The Florida State Fair comes to town every February - We’ve gone 3 years in a row! We may be too old to handle the sketchy rides, but we love all the shows, food, and vendors that come out every year. I’ve been going to the Fair since I was a teenager and it holds a lot of special memories for me. From braving the rides with friends, to my high school graduation, to family outings - The Fair has always been there. Going with Corey has made The Fair that much more special. When it came time to decide on where to take a picture for our wedding invites The Fair was there again and our picture came out cute.