It was August 2018 in Wicker Park, Chicago. Kristina just graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, and on a whim, moved to the big city with her college friend, Emily, and Emily’s childhood friend, Sarah. To ring in the new era, the girls of 1465 W. Thomas St. decided to throw a housewarming party. Cut to 30 miles north in Highland Park, where Nick gets an invite to said housewarming party from fellow Marquette grad, Sarah. Little did he know, this was an invite that would lead to meeting his future wife. At the party, Sarah introduced him to her new roommate, Kristina - a charming young woman from the East Coast. He didn’t know it, but Kristina began crushing…hard. In the midst of so much newness, Nick instantly felt like home. He made her belly-laugh, they bonded over their love of music, and her infectious energy made him excited to be back home. This dynamic went on for over a year. Sarah would invite friends over and Kristina would ask “so...is Nick coming?” always hoping for a yes. As we all know, Kristina is anything but subtle... Fast forward to March 2020. Stuck at home, Nick was playing guitar and reached out to Kristina, asking if she’d lend her vocal and lyrical talents to a virtual collaboration to pass the time. He’d send her guitar loops, and she’d write lyrics and send vocal tracks back to him. It quickly turned into much more than just music, with conversations shifting from chord progressions and melodies to life, goals, and everything in between. With the chaos of the world around them, they found an oasis in each other. They talked constantly and Kristina wondered if he felt the same way about her that she’d felt about him. Spoiler alert, he did. The first domino fell when Kristina’s roommates were out of town. With multiple songs written together, it was time to hang out in person - just the two of them. The nerves were palpable in the beginning but quickly subsided. Playing music turned into Mario Kart, Mario Kart turned into bingeing Game of Thrones, and Game of Thrones turned into dinner (Little Caesar’s pizza per Kristina’s request). Nick politely bit his tongue, wondering why anyone would opt for Little Caesar’s in the pizza capital of the country?! This would be the first of many times he’d laugh to himself trying to figure out the way her brain worked. He’s still working on that. After nonstop laughs and conversation, they looked at the clock and realized it was 5 am! In a quiet moment of anticipation, there was only one thing left to do. They both leaned in for a first kiss as the glow of the sunrise shone through the living room windows. And their love story began. It wasn’t off to the races just yet. Nick just landed his first job in the city, moved to Wrigleyville, and was finally starting his life in Chicago. On the other hand, Chicago had run its course for Kristina, and the Rocky Mountains were calling her name. After many deep conversations and late-night talks in grocery store parking lots, they agreed to stay a little longer to see if this relationship was worth a move across the country together. (It was.) Since then, it’s been the ride of a lifetime! They moved to Denver, explored national parks, and Nick even survived a Hann Family Thanksgiving menu for the first time — arguably the most exotic adventure of all. He made his way to the Hann's beloved beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, while Kristina joined the Archibald's to longtime vacation spot, Longboat Key, Florida. Along the way came a few Dead & Company shows and even a Halloween “dinner in the dark”, proving Nick and Kristina will do anything for each other. All of these amazing moments, people, places, and traditions have created a beautiful start to an incredible life together. What began as a crush and a shared love of music has grown into a life rooted in laughter and love — and fortunately for Nick, less Little Caesar’s. (“But somehow the same amount of Dead & Co shows!” - Kristina)