FILIP'S VERSION It all started with a right swipe and some too hot to handle banter. To see if I was really as tall as my Hinge profile claimed, and if she was as stunning in real life as her photos suggested, we decided to meet in the UWS — at what would quickly become my favorite corner in the universe. Karen spotted me and, with full conviction, went straight in for a hug, grabbed my hand, and acted like she’d known me for years. Bold move that totally threw me off key. Taking into consideration my street cred as a “tough Croatian” who’s not exactly into this hand holding shenanigans, I just said out loud "Guess we are doing this" and ran with it. But in all honesty, it felt perfect, instantly! Drinks and conversation flowed, and Karen confidently looked straight into my eyes and declared how much she loved my name… while pronouncing it.... completely… WRONG! We both cracked up, I got smitten, and somewhere between cocktails and laughs, I texted my buddy: “I think I’m going to marry this girl.” Spoiler: I was right. We haven’t let go of each other’s hands since. KAREN'S VERSION I swiped right on a photo of Filip with his sister Maja at Summit One Vanderbilt. I’ve always been a sucker for a guy who loves his sisters/family because it usually means he knows how to treat a woman (spoiler: I was right). Our conversation flowed effortlessly from the start, but then… silence. Filip left me on read! (Bad Filip!) Normally, I would have moved on, and that might’ve been the end of us but something in me said to follow up and so I did, asking where the heck he’d disappeared to. Little did I know, he actually had a good excuse. He was in the middle of moving back to New York from Austin, getting his citizenship the following week, and juggling about a dozen life changes at once. That one follow-up message changed everything. We quickly made plans to meet, and I’ll never forget seeing a tall handsome man standing on the corner of West 83rd and Amsterdam (and yes, unlike most online dating horror stories, he really was 6’3”!). I quickly grabbed his hand and later on would find out that bold move was quite startling for my non-PDA rugged Croatian Filip. But hey it just felt right! From the moment we started talking, the conversation didn’t stop for a second. I remember my cheeks blushing as I realized I’d met someone who actually made me a little shy (we all know it’s weird for me to feel like the shy one) And while yes, I did initially assume his name was pronounced Felipe (a mistake I’ve since learned nearly everyone makes), Filip (like Phillip) has become my favorite name in the world. Looking back, I’m so glad I trusted my gut and sent that follow-up message. It’s proof that sometimes, taking a small chance can change the entire course of your life. After all, you never know what (or who) you might miss out on if you don’t. Now, standing beside Filip as we start our forever, I’m endlessly grateful that one small message led me to the greatest love and adventure of my life.