Kristen and Rick first connected through the dating app Bumble just after Christmas, 2018 while Kristen was living in NY and visiting family in CT. After texting for a few days, Rick suggested they meet in South Norwalk, CT in early January. Being that she was planning to move back to CT, Kristen had spent the afternoon and evening looking for apartments in the area. She met Rick (admittedly, a little late and frazzled by the hunting process) at Oishi for sushi on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. She had been hunting for apartments for hours and had to head back to Queens after dinner. He had a 30-minute drive home on a school night with an early wake-up time to teach the next day. And still, their first date lasted more than three hours.

A second date followed, which Rick mostly used to brag about his Debate Team making it to state finals. But by this point, Kristen had figured him out for an affable, if not lovable nerd. By March, Kristen had officially moved to Norwalk, and they began spending more and more time with each other, going to comedy shows, aquariums, museums, breweries, and more. It soon became apparent that this was more than just "getting to know you" stuff. "I love you's" were exchanged, family and friends were introduced, and come the fall of 2019, the next phase of both of their lives began to clearly take shape, culminating with a memorable trip to Maine in October.

During a long weekend in Portland, ME, Rick took Kristen to Nubble Light in York, ME, a spot he spent many years visiting as a kid with his family. Finding a friendly stranger to take their picture, Rick stood beside Kristen and teasingly said, "Don't look down." When she ultimately did, she saw a box in his hand, and moments later, there was a ring on her finger, and a small chorus of cheers by nearby observers. For both Kristen and Rick, this feels like it's been a lifetime in the making, and the stars just happened to align the right way for them to meet, connect, and fall in love. They have looked for each other in just about every setting possible, from work functions to New York City subways... and now, their search is over, and their lives are soon to be forever linked, surrounded by family and friends. Just the way it should be.