Joneen Murphy, a beach-loving East Coaster from Montauk, NY, and Jordan Markland, a laid-back West Coaster from San Jose, CA, probably should have never crossed paths—except fate (and Bumble) had other plans. After a few witty messages, some strategic emoji use, and Joneen making sure Jordan wasn’t a weirdo (jury is still out), they decided to meet in person. It all went down in Los Angeles at a restaurant named Margot, where we bonded over paella and two bottles of red wine—because apparently, moderation was not on the menu that night. Jordan tried to impress Joneen by talking about his golf game, and Joneen pretended to be a little west coast savvy despite just moving to LA… while mostly just wondering if there was more paella coming. From there, it was a whirlwind of spontaneous trips, incredible meals, and spoiling Joneen's dog, Poppy, who very quickly became "our" dog Poppy. From the start, our relationship has been filled with unforgettable moments—some planned, others absolutely chaotic in the best way (Baby Jett.) Like that time Jordan was thrown into the deep end (literally) during a trip to Miami, where he met Joneen’s entire loud Peruvian family all at once. There was no easing in—just straight into a family reunion with fifteen people asking when he was proposing (you’re welcome, Jordan). Then came Washington, D.C., where we roamed a new city together, eating our way through every landmark and somehow convincing ourselves that we found the best mediterranean restaurant ever and eating there three times in five days LOL. And then, we moved in together—Jordan’s once simple bachelor pad quickly transformed into something... next-level. Gone was the mismatched furniture and questionable “Broncos Decor & Jesus plate,” replaced with, well, things that actually matched. Through it all, what we love most about each other is how we say “yes” to life—spontaneous weekend trips, unplanned adventures, and just diving headfirst into whatever comes next. We balance each other out, push each other to be better, and most importantly, we make every day fun (even when Jordan insists on one more game after I beat him in our daily putting contest).

Jordan is a planner—so when he told Joneen they had a very important GOBankingRates work dinner with all the C-suite executives, it sounded believable. Normally, Joneen would love an excuse to dress up, but after a brutal day at work, she wanted nothing to do with it and even tried convincing Jordan to tell his team she was definitely too sick to attend (he refused—suspicious). Somehow, Jordan got her out the door, and they took a quick detour to the Manhattan Beach Pier for a “team picture.” Little did Joneen know, their friends Axel & Tim were hidden in the distance, cameras ready. As Jordan got down on one knee at the end of the pier, Joneen was completely caught off guard but her first thought? At least there’s no work dinner. The celebration continued with champagne at Strand House, followed by an incredible dinner at their favorite spot, Fishing with Dynamite—because no major life event in their relationship happens without really, really good food. And now, their biggest adventure is just beginning!