where our love story meets a new year

On a fateful Sunday afternoon in 2017, Vinnie was working at t-shirt shop at ISU and Julia came to buy a sorority t-shirt. The interaction was routine, someone buying a shirt, Vinnie taking the order. However, there was mutual attraction between the two of them. Nothing came of it immediately, but turns out, it was an interaction they would both never forget. Julia referred to Vinnie as the cute t-shirt guy and Vinnie always remembered Julia's red pigtails. During the thick of COVID, Julia and Vinnie each made plans to go into the city with their own groups of friends. By coincidence (and a little help from mutual friends), those two groups decided to meet up — and Julia and Vinnie tagged along, not knowing how important that night would become. Julia was hesitant and definitely had her reservations about Vinnie, but as the night went on, those doubts slowly faded. Conversation came easily, laughter was overflowing, and what started as a casual hangout turned into hours (and hours) of talking and genuinely getting to know one another. By the end of the night, it was clear something special had happened. What began as a chance meetup in an uncertain time turned into the beginning of a love story neither of them saw coming, but both are endlessly grateful for!!