Kat found me first. Maybe it was luck or maybe my finest St. Patrick’s Day attire or my classiest Americana clothing at the Indy 500, however it was, I caught Kat’s attention. The connection was instant and I was looking forward to the first opportunity to get to take Kat on a date. But she was visiting her family in Boston and 24 hours after she returned I would be out of town for work for an extended period. Something was telling me not to wait. If there was a window of possibility, we would have to make it work. While 24 hours might have seemed like plenty of time, it meant leaving the playoffs of my bowling league early and continuing my life-long streak of failing miserably at sports. Any other week, it would not have been a problem, but by the grace of God, I was blessed with the skills of Pete Weber (the bowler, not the Bachelor), and was bowling the best game of my life. Yet, my first date with Kat was calling and I left the playoffs before the match was over. From the moment Kat arrived at D.O.C., I never once thought about the strikes and spares I had left behind. The connection was instant. The saying is “if you know you know” and I knew that Kat was the one before the glass of wine was even empty. We talked as if we had known each other for years. We shared stories of international hijinks, South Bend memories and roommates’ flatulence. By the time the night was over, it was obvious to me, this would not be the last time we see each other. As I jumped in my cab to head home after the date, I texted my friend, Dustin, “It was perfect. I really liked her. I can’t wait to see her again. I only hope she feels the same.” Lucky for me, she did. From that day on, there is no one with whom I would rather be. Through our adventures in Chicago to our bi-coastal travels, I am glad it has been Kat by my side every step of the way. Kat has been a blessing and it is a dream come true to get to spend the rest of my life with her.

One fateful November day in 2017, we "matched" on the dating app Hinge. We quickly connected over our shared time in South Bend and several of our mutual friends (Danny was on a kickball team with a few of my friends from Saint Mary's and Notre Dame). Leading up to our first date, I was excited to meet Danny, he seemed like a lot of fun and we had so much in common. Our first date was on December 4, 2017 at Dunlay's on Clark (DOC) Wine Bar. Danny kindly chose a place right down the street from my apartment. Over a bottle of wine and a few appetizers, we exchanged stories about our adventures in South Bend, studying abroad in Europe, and our favorite restaurants and bars in Chicago. It's hard to pinpoint the moment that I knew I had met someone special, because it always felt so natural and easy. Many laughs and a few glasses of wine later, we realized it was time to head home and Danny walked me back to my apartment before we parted ways. Soon after, we saw each other frequently and continued to bond over trying new restaurants, our shared love of breweries, and the places we hoped to travel. On our third date, we went to see the Lincoln Park Zoo Lights and grabbed burgers at RJ Grunts after. We spent hours talking about our families, friends, hopes and dreams. It seemed simple, but it was a night I'll never forget. Danny has become my best friend and the person that can always make me laugh (even when I don't want to). I have never met someone who so seamlessly connects with every person he meets and has such a zest for life. He grounds me and reminds me not to sweat the small stuff. I'm looking forward to starting our life together, we make a great team!

We spent a lot of time at the Lincoln Park Zoo at the beginning of our relationship since it was the perfect halfway point between us. Whether it was going on walks in the summer time, playing volleyball with our friends at North Avenue Beach right next door, and of course, visiting the Zoo Lights, we always enjoyed our time there. Danny told me that his boss was a member of the Lincoln Park Zoo and surprised him with tickets to the Zoo Lights preview (which is actually a thing and Danny wanted to make sure it was believable) on November 22, 2019. Danny arrived to the Zoo first to make sure everything was set up. He reserved a special area for us at Carlson Cottage, next to Cafe Brauer, right outside of Zoo Lights. When I arrived, I called Danny to ask if I had to show my ID to get in and he said he'd come out to meet me. As we walked to the special spot at Carlson Cottage, we chatted about our days and talked about our plans to see his family on Saturday. It was a very natural and normal conversation, but I do remember Danny being a little nervous. He said there was a reception at Cafe Brauer but as we got closer, all of the lights were off. He told me that we had to check in first and the reception was after. As we got closer, Danny started to reminisce on our first few dates and how special our time has been together. Before I could process what was happening, he got down on one knee and all the lights came on and the words "will you marry me?" came up in colorful Christmas lights. I immediately burst into tears and said yes! We toasted with champagne and took a few photos and had a beautiful dinner at North Pond. It was a perfect moment for just the two of us. We shared our excitement with family and friends throughout the weekend and the rest is history!