We‘re getting married

The year 2019 started with one of the coldest winters (and a polar vortex) in Chicago, forcing even the windy city into hibernation. In retrospect, who knows if Lina and Andrea would've ever met without the Chicago winter "lockdown." Lina had plans to move back to LA in May and Andrea was wondering if it was time to leave the US. But, the slow and cold evenings were spent at home, alternating between Netflix and Hinge...leading to an unlikely (and slightly untimely) meeting. Interestingly enough, lockdowns were in Lina and Andrea's destiny (more to come on this later). After their first attempts at meet-ups were foiled by the polar vortex and canceled flights, Lina and Andrea finally met in a small cafe in the Gold Coast on a cold Saturday morning. A round of cappuccinos and pastries was ordered, and it was love at first sight (of croissants...) for Andrea. Although Lina made the mistake of telling an Italian she didn't like pizza on the first date, their shared love of food and travels saved the day! They both left that cafe thinking...hmmm let's see where this goes!

In the midst of a global pandemic, a city-wide lockdown, and protests across LA, Andrea really had to put all of his "renowned" planning and organizational skills to use for the proposal. With the help of Lina's friends (Yas with a clever ruse to get Lina out of the hospital in time and Jill & Erik with the stealthy camera work) and Andrea's friends (Marco & Letitia with the flowers and champagne), Andrea finally got down on one knee on the Santa Monica beach and sort of asked Lina to marry him...just not in so many words. The evening concluded with a favorite Farmshop dinner delivered just in time and joyous FaceTime chats with friends and family around the world. In short, the best day ever!