Get ready for Gimitri!

Dimitri and Gina were born 5 days and two states apart. It wasn't until Gina crossed those two states and waited 18 years for Dimitri to get into the docks that their love story could begin. It took him 11 hard years. During that time Gina was looking everywhere for him! Everywhere! She looked so hard for him that she became an expert at dating and helped other people meet the loves of their lives! Finally on a dating app called Bumble shortly after Dimitri got his dream job, their paths crossed. Gina was drawn to Dimitri’s rugged good looks, obviously, but she was particularly drawn to a line he wrote when he said “no one is impressed by my 2006 Honda Accord”. But she was. It said a lot about him in a way that resonated with her; he wasn't concerned with being flashy. He didn't need to look cool. He had different priorities and Gina could relate. Just one month earlier she had parted with her 2001 Hyundai. And that's how it began. They decided to meet for beers and dinner. Dimitri was an easy conversationalist. He was funny, and man was he CUTE! She remembers telling her friends “he was adorable in every way”. It was such a great first date she didn’t want it to ever end. She’s glad it never has to. From Dimitri: As a guy without a ton of free time I turned to the ole Bumbles. I come across a beautiful brunette. There she was, big hair, almond eyes and an even smile. We spent the next few days talking through the app. I knew I had to make her laugh. I wasn’t letting this southern bell slip through. It was time to ask her if she’d let me take her out. Thankfully she said yes. Instead of picking her up she opted to meet me there. And that’s the first time I saw her. Making a left pulling up to Simmzy’s there she stood. Tall, blue jeans, and a smile. Just as I had recognized that hair, she immediately recognized my car. The joke being that my 06 Honda Accord impressed nobody. I parked and we took our first steps of what would become many together.

Gina was super easy and fun to talk to. Being an online dating expert she taught me all about the finer points of the 5 love languages. Of which I can only seem to remember “food”. It was one of those dates you didn’t want to end. She was smart, funny, driven, and interesting. Luckily she felt the same because after dinner we took a little tour of 2nd St. When it was time to call it quits I walked her home. There we toasted the night with one last drink on the infamous “deck”. Laughing and smiling at the neighbors as they checked up on her 1 by 1 in passing. They left us to our own devices as apparently the swarthy Greek was welcome company. Like all fun times the next few weeks happened quickly, neither of us concerned for dating rules. We spent a lot of time bike riding the strand, hitting Baby Vons up for summer time libations, and trying to make sense of a buffalo painting that was the crown jewel of her bathroom art collection. Belmont Shore was this little community in a big city. New to me, but home to Gina. One of the things I love about Gina is that she had built these relationships around her that made this place really feel small town homey. On our countless dinner dates walking to restaurants, we’d inevitably run into someone she knew and introduce me. Her circle of friends were all smart, driven, welcoming, nice people. Apparently the Shore is home to a disproportionate amount of pilots, therapists, and dental reps. Then came the 4th of July, two years ago. It was a beautiful day and we headed out to the beach to meet some of Gina’s friends. And although I hadn’t started the day with an ambitious question in mind, I sure ended the day with one. Caught in the glow a great beach day, awesome company, patriotic fireworks, and a few stolen kisses, I asked Gina to be my girlfriend. Luckily this would be the first of two of my favorite yeses from her. The second of course being the 4th of July 2 years later when I asked for her hand in marriage.

We dated for 2 years, saw each other through many momentous occasions, a lot of every day life, but overwhelmingly, our time together has been happiest of our lives. About a year into our relationship Dimitri bought a house with Gina's help and there is where we will make our home. With a house in place, we decided we should "foster" a dog over the 4th of July 2019 to help clear the shelters. We failed as fosters after a few days and Donut became our daughter. We love spending time at home. For Dimitri it's out by the firepit in the backyard. For Gina it's floating in the "pool". Either way, we are happiest when we are all at home together enjoying the simple things. And that's how Dimitri choose to propose. On July 4th 2020, the 2 year anniversary of when he first asked Gina to be his girlfriend, sitting in the back yard, with a fire burning, fireworks exploding and Donut by our feet. Dimitri was feeling like only one thing could make our lives more perfect. Gina agreed. It was simple and heartfelt. Afterall, we are still the couple that are impressed by 2006 Honda Accords.