Jake and Amanda’s love story started in the most unlikely of places: an aerospace manufacturing facility in Burnsville, Minnesota. At the time, Amanda had been working at the facility full-time for about a year when she first noticed a handsome engineer glancing her way as they passed through the halls. Their interactions were few and far between, but there always seemed to be a spark between them, some sort of universal beckoning to seek each other out. Jake found himself starting conversations with individuals sitting near Amanda in the hopes that she may notice him and join the conversation. On one such occasion, their very first conversation consisted of Amanda asking Jake if he wanted her to order a pair of leopard print safety glasses for the manufacturing floor. He did not take her up on that offer. After about two years of brief glances and very few verbal interactions, Amanda finally got the confirmation that Jake was interested in her. Amanda was walking through the facility when she noticed Jake, whose full name she did not know at this point, talking to some of his coworkers. Without a word, she walked past the group, but kept an eye on the reflective glass at the end of the hallway. She saw in the glass that Jake turned and watched her as she walked away. She thought, “He likes me.” Only remembering his name was “Jake,” she frantically searched through the company’s address book for any “Jacobs” or “Jakes” that may clue her in on who this person was. When her searches proved futile, she asked coworkers if they knew who the dark-haired design engineer was that sat downstairs. Jake Weizenegger. There was no LinkedIn profile, but with his name she found his Instagram. If it weren’t for Amanda’s philosophy that to find love, one must take risks and do things that are uncomfortable, she may not have been bold enough to reach out. But she did: she sent a friend request, then “slid into his DM’s” with a corny joke about how working was embarrassing because you’d be letting everyone know you need money. Thank goodness Jake’s easy-going nature allowed him to see past this lame joke and take a chance on a younger woman. February 4th, 2023 was their first date at Earl Giles Distillery in North East Minneapolis. They talked for four hours, learning about each other’s goals, what they were most proud of, and their biggest fears. The next day, Jake invited Amanda for a walk around Minneapolis, where they continued talking about their interests and passions. They’ve been together ever since. Their lives have changed dramatically, and all for the better, since they began dating. They live together and renovate Jake’s house, and they adopted another cat to keep Amanda’s cat Stevie company. Their days together are significantly better than any day they ever spent apart. They love their little family and each other so much.