I remember seeing Joanna approach the front door. My face red as a beet, palms sweating, just hoping she was my date. She walked into Shakou and our eyes locked. Do I go for a hug, do I give her the 3 cheek Polish kiss? So many thoughts raced through my mind, not once noticing Joanna fighting back the sniffles and a severe cold. Both so nervous, we could barely bite into our sushi! Yet, we couldn't stop laughing the entire night and couldn't wait to plan the next! On romantic date #2, we strolled into the United Center and immediately got turned away (Paul accidentally bought fake tickets to a Blackhawks game)... The next weekend, Joanna returned the favor and mysteriously disappeared for 1 hour while Paul waited in her driveway while she frantically searched for her car keys at a store down the road... and to top it off, our first trip to a Chicago museum ended with changing a flat tire in the middle of the freeway during a polar vortex... Despite these less than perfect moments, we always found a way to make the best out of a messy situation. Something kept drawing us towards each other, and before we knew it, we were on our way to happily ever after!

Paul bent the knee nearly 1,000 feet above Downtown L.A. as he waited for Joanna to slide down a 45 foot glass slide. She was ready for him to take the perfect boomerang shot, but instead he surprised her with the perfect ring. Afterwards, we had dinner at Otium, the restaurant owned by the winner of our favorite Netflix show "The Final Table". The weekend was full of sunsets, ocean waves, delicious food, and surprises. We are both so excited to spend our lives together and to be able to celebrate our marriage with our family and friends!!