JON: It was September 2019 — a mere lifetime ago — and I was several months deep into what felt like a brand new life in Santa Barbara, CA. Earlier that year I had traded the bustle and grind of the actor’s life in Los Angeles for a slightly more bucolic — and definitely more stable — existence, and somehow stumbled into a great job in real estate marketing. My departure from LA was borne of a combination of burnout, heartbreak, and wanderlust, but little did I know just how much the events about to unfold would both heal and free me, and anchor me to this newfound home. JUSTIN: “Anchor" is a very poetic way of putting it... JON: Yeah, let’s be honest, we’re talking about Covid lockdowns. JUSTIN: *Sigh* JON: Right. That's a story for another time. Anyhow. For as beautiful and as lush as Santa Barbara appears to the average visitor, it should come with a dire warning: when it comes to eligible men looking for the same, it is largely a barren wasteland. That would explain, then, why the geographic net on my Tinder profile was cast as far as it could possibly go: Something like a 100-mile radius, but just (thankfully) short of the riffraff of LA. JUSTIN: Meanwhile, after much of my life on the East coast had essentially crumbled, I was just beginning to put myself back together in Los Angeles. I had started a masters program in psychotherapy at Antioch University, specializing in one of the only LGBTQ-affirmative programs in the country. I was simultaneously pursuing a dream, while navigating might be one of my life’s greatest humiliations: I found myself in an enormous city with virtually nothing to my name, bouncing around various sublets or living in my car while attending class. I was briefly able to stay with some family in Agoura Hills, just outside LA. The drive to class was a horrible haul, but it put me just inside that 100-mile Tinder radius. JON: Clearly, it was meant to be. I remember when I first saw your profile picture in the app. That handsome face, gleaming smile, and piercing eyes sliced right through my little heart right down to my undercarriage. I literally "swiped right” so fast that I sadly didn’t get enough info to stalk you any further before releasing your avatar to the Tinder-sphere. So I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and said a quick prayer that this devilishly handsome man would return the favor. JUSTIN: And I did. JON: And you did. JUSTIN: Of course, you cheated a little by using a picture of yourself with really cute kids, looking like a daddy. JON: I've been told I'm very resourceful. JUSTIN: Well...it worked. After we connected and started chatting in the app, it became apparent pretty quickly that we had a lot in common — religious upbringing, Christian college experience, a love for nature and art— JON: And remarkable IQs. Well, one of us, at least, JUSTIN: We’ll leave that to our audience to decide. JON: Yes, anyway — the conversation flowed almost effortlessly right from the start. All joking about Tinder photos aside, one of the things that stood out to me right away was that I could tell you were gentle, kind, and a good listener, and our initial conversation only confirmed that hunch. JUSTIN: Wow. I actually sound pretty amazing. JON: You are, with a few caveats. JUSTIN: Thank you. So, fast forward a few days from that first chat. We were supposed to meet up over the weekend down in Ventura, since I was already planning to visit a friend there. But evidently Jonny had different plans. JON: I guess it was just me being resourceful again? I sent a flirty photo (oops) and half-jokingly said that I wished you could come hang in Santa Barbara. You sent me a screenshot of a map with the estimated drive time. JUSTIN: And that’s when you offered dinner and place to stay.

JON: A few hours later you showed up on Santa Barbara turf, and our very first date began — a few days ahead of schedule. JUSTIN: Was it love at first sight? JON: Well, it was dark out and you were wearing those glasses that I’m not a huge fan of. But everything else was perfect. Plus, you smelled really good. JUSTIN: Le Labo, baby. JON: Mmm, yes. That cologne actually still brings me back to our first hug in the driveway. JUSTIN: So evidently you were still sizing me up when we went to dinner at Sama Sama on State Street? JON: I think I was on high alert at first, but I relaxed into it pretty quickly. It was just beautifully easy with you, and I remember our conversation being wonderful. It felt like we were the only ones in the restaurant. JUSTIN: I found it hard to believe that I was suddenly here in this tiny town, talking on such a deep level with a handsome man about so many familiar things and experiences. It was surreal. JON: It’s amazing looking back, because I can recognize now many of the little glimpses I got of our chemistry, even if I was unaware at the time. JUSTIN: I remember on the walk back I was stroking the back of your head and you just melted. JON: We’re talking about the one on my neck, just to clarify. But yes, I’m a big fan of touch. JUSTIN: We ended up holding each other like it was the first time we’d held a person, ever. JON: I think I scared you. JUSTIN: Maybe a little bit. But thankfully not enough to keep me away. JON: True, because here we are — almost 3 years later, with all the hundreds and thousands of beautiful, difficult, unforgettable moments in-between — ready to tie the knot and tell the world that our love is for real. JUSTIN: For real, for real. We are the lucky ones. JON: Indeed, my love. Indeed.