Our journey began on November 2nd, 2016 in Chicago, but far from your ordinary day in the Windy City. This is a date that will live in the hearts and minds of Cubs fans forever. I told myself beforehand, remember this night, because no matter what happens, it’s going to be historic. Little did I know it would be a night that was memorable for reasons other than the infamous 108-year World Series drought. A couple of close friends and I decided to watch the game at the infamous Cubby Bear Bar which was right across the street from Wrigley Field. Lauren decided to pull a tell-your-grandkids-about-move and came up from Florida for the night just at the possibility of being a part of something so significant. How can you blame her? Trading 70 degrees and palm trees for a rainy & cold night with thousands of screaming degenerates shoulder to shoulder with the inability to hear anyone next to you. The setup doesn’t exactly scream your typical, “I am going to find the love of my life here.” Lauren and I ended up bumping into one another where some flirtatious banter was exchanged, as well as our numbers. Thousands of texts led to weeks of mysterious admiration for one another that materialized into the best decision of my life...rolling the dice, hopping on a plane, and spending a 3 day weekend in downtown Tampa with Lauren. Without certainty or assurance, we created the best first date you could ever ask for that included watching Florida State winning the Orange Bowl, a front-row seat for the Lightning game, fireworks under the stars, and lots of vodka sodas. Needless to say, the rest is history!

Three years worth of memories later, we’ve traveled to many U.S. cities where we witnessed the greatest two minutes in sports at the Kentucky Derby, eaten a lot of good food, even a cruise to Cuba, and then moved in together in our new home in southwest Florida. A few months ago, I finally popped the question over deep dish pizza and beers, back at our favorite bar at the Cubby Bear where it all began, and Lauren said yes. Without much thought, and a brief moment to myself, I suddenly realized that November 2nd wasn’t the best night of my life because a die-hard Cubs fan finally got his wish, it was because I met Lauren. We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. See you in Clearwater!