#ichoisyou

Joshua Choi, always grew up knowing he was a bit different from everybody else. It wasn’t that hard after all, growing up in China for most of his childhood, and juggling his own Korean/American identity. His constant feelings of being “different”, his adolescent exposure to sad-emo-punk music, and his love for the movie “Forest Gump” made himself believe early in life that finding “the one” wasn’t something realistic. He, for as long as he can remember, thought that he’d simply have to find someone to be content with and aim for something not as lofty as happiness. Until he met Susie.

Susie Mayer, always grew up thinking she was unique and that no one fully understood her. Growing up in a small town in the Santa Ynez Valley, she never felt like she quite fit in. A hopeless romantic at heart, Susie would dream up fantastical love stories in her head. Partly motivated by her love for “Pride & Prejudice”, this both fueled her day-dream musings & also taught her that great relationships take a lot of growth & hard work. Once old enough to be out on her own, she moved around quite a bit, meeting all kinds & types of people. She finally settled in Los Angeles, CA, one of the great melting pot cities of America. After so many years of searching & waiting, she was left to believe that this kind of love was not meant for her and that she would have to settle for something less, something prudent and devoid of passion & love. Having to settle for someone that wouldn’t understand her unique quirks and random movie references. That is until she met Josh.

It was a Monday night wine tasting at Silver Lake Wine. He didn’t immediately think she was “the one”, he just remembered his heart beating quickly, and feeling a kind of uneasiness he has rarely felt before, the uneasiness of something going perfectly well. That night, his date with Susie was one of the greatest moments of his life, and one of the smoothest dates he’d ever been on. Susie was breathtakingly charming and genuinely curious. Her laugh was infectious, her smile captivating, and like some beautiful daydream, it was over. Pondering deeply, and still filled with the uneasiness of having what he believed to be the most perfect date he’d ever been on, he slowly drove home. With the car radio off, deep in his own thoughts, he knew he had to get more, he had to be with her again, there was something special about this Susie.

She had met a few boys, but none that had yet bewitched her, both body & soul. They met on a casual Monday night. The conversation flowed with an effortless ease. Quickly, the wine tasting turned into dinner, which turned into late night drinks and before she knew it, it was closing time. She had learned to not get her hopes up, but this date was going better than she could had ever expected. Josh was heart-stoppingly charismatic and brimming with knowledge. His charm was magical, his eyes warm, yet mysterious. He was both confident and caring. She remembered leaving the date smiling and brimming with joy. Driving home as fast as she could with the music blasting, high on life and this chance meeting with this boy. “This could be it!,” she thought. After this night, she knew this was the start of something new. There was definitely something unique about this Joshua.

It has been nearly 3 years since we met. We got engaged on a beautiful Saturday afternoon on March 23rd, 2019 under the Belmont Shore pier. These last few years have been a whirlwind for us, and we have certainly have had our ups and downs as with any relationship that has both prudence & passion. Without the support of our friends, family and community, we know we couldn’t be here today. We thank each and every one of you for all your support, and we look forward to seeing you & celebrating with you all at the wedding. God’s blessing and love to all of you!