9.1.2023

There were a lot of “what could have beens” to how we met, but it was the unlikeliest of events that finally brought us together. When the pandemic arrived in 2020, neither of us expected to find a relationship — let alone, our soulmate. And we definitely didn’t expect to find that on a dating app. If the pandemic taught me anything, it was to expect the unexpected. And so on Sunday, November 1, 2020, when I received a message from Erika on Hinge, I did my best to keep my expectations in check. A few days later, we were talking and laughing and telling stories on FaceTime for hours. When we finally had our first in-person date in Berkeley that weekend, I knew then and there that Erika wasn’t just someone — she was “the one.” I’ve never been so happy to delete something from my phone than I was when I deleted all of the dating apps after our first date that evening. Since then, we traveled to the top of Mt. Haleakala in Maui. We fought over who gets to eat the last piece of har gow at Koi Palace. We braved the crowds at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park and sang along with Green Day and Post Malone until our voices were hoarse. We sang “Burning Love” by Elvis at family karaoke. We and played Settlers of Cataan with my siblings. We’ve even found a home together in Oakland. I couldn’t imagine finding my wife and best friend in the midst of the chaos that was 2020, but I’m so thankful I did.