We met in the Fall of 2021 here in Cleveland, Ohio. Lydia was nearing the end of her final year of PT school at Cleveland State and Jake had just moved to Cleveland for a new job. We matched on a dating app and after only a few messages back and forth, quickly made plans to meet in person. Our first date was at Gillespie's Map Room, a cozy dive bar where we shared a few beers and a barbecue chicken pizza. We connected over stories of our families, our travels, and our eagerness to try new things. Before the end of the night, we had already planned our second date at a haunted house. Over the next three years, we truly became one another's best friends. Lydia taught Jake how to square dance, and Jake taught Lydia how to make a killer risotto. We saw some of our favorite artists in concert, we attended countless Cleveland sports games, and we tried (nearly!) every restaurant in the city. While together we have made Cleveland our home, we also explored places across the country like California, New York City, and Texas. One of our favorite trips was to a tiny cabin outside of Louisville. We also got the chance to travel internationally to Mexico, Ireland, France, and Italy. We have biked through vineyards in Bordeaux, driven along the Italian Riviera, and paraglided across the French Alps. Just before Christmas 2024, Jake had planned for a winter date night with tickets to see A Christmas Carol at Playhouse Square - at least, that's what Lydia believed. On our way to the show, we stopped at Public Square to see the Christmas lights display where we had one of our earliest dates. Jake proposed in the center of the square among the snow and lights. Jake suggested a celebratory drink at Gillespie's Map Room, back where everything started. Upon entering the bar, Lydia was stunned to see a surprise party of all of our closest friends and family waiting to celebrate. We are so excited to start our future together. We can't wait to celebrate with each and every one of you!