An artist manager spending the bulk of his time on the road and a girlie-pop doctor winding down the odyssey that is preparing for a career in Maternal Fetal Medicine find themselves in a predicament. They both have an instinctual, innate desire to find a lifelong partner, while also being immersed in arguably all-consuming vocations. Now, we’re all aware that the 21st century is well underway and technology has advanced dramatically - even in the world of romance. You’ve likely already wondered how much ChatGPT has aided in this tale (only to suggest synonyms and cute turns of phrase). That said, it seems the IRL 'meet-cutes' still retain their value, even for the most technologically savvy. So, what would you tell the beleaguered pair when their options to IRL meet-cute were sparse? “I mean, you could try the apps” It was Bumble that did the trick over Hinge. And it’s debated that her brother sent the first "Hey William". The match led to a Tuesday night dinner date that ended in a first kiss - and then the caveat that William would be leaving for a month in just three days. "Well, could we hang out tomorrow then?" Jessie responded. Dates two and three, on Wednesday and Thursday, went dizzyingly well. Two weeks later, in a daring act that Jessie’s friend called the “go get your man” trip, she flew to Montana to meet William out on the road. Yes, it was fun, exciting, and new for them both, yada yada yada. We’ve already established how smitten the two were. What really made the trip was their waterfall hike in Big Sky. They’d already suspected that there was something different about the other, but on this hike, they leveled what they wanted, how they wanted their lives to look, and that they didn’t want this to continue if the other wasn’t heading in the direction of forever. This day, spent defining their hypothetical big beautiful life, ended with a shared sentiment of what they wanted to center their lives around. “Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
 Such striving may seem admirable,
 but it is the way of foolishness.
 Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
 Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
 Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
 Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
 And make the ordinary come alive for them.
 The extraordinary will take care of itself.” - William Martin (via Glennon Doyle) While they continued to immerse themselves in everything they did, they vowed that, together, they would try to keep the marvels of the ordinary in clear view. That didn’t stop the year that followed from being pure (mostly organized) chaos. They spared no time introducing each other to the totality of their respective worlds. From weddings to concerts, trips to the L&D floor to weekend trips to visit family, they sought to know each other and appreciate the other in every way they could conjure. What blossomed was a love and understanding that affirmed all of those early conversations. Fast-forward past the flash mob proposal (see above), the planning of their big beautiful life is well under way. And they’re eagerly awaiting celebrating with everyone on May 30th!