Our story is one of perseverance, ours and fate's. We first met on Mary-Katherine's birthday when she was scrolling around on a dating app to ensure that she wasn't the only single 30 something left in Vermont. Turns out that was partially true because her search landed her just over the line in New Hampshire. Despite hitting it off via written chat, Mary-Katherine wasn't planning to be on the app for long since it was for curiosity sake and plus, the timing wasn't ideal. Mary-Katherine was in the middle of her campaign for office and Ryan had just started at Tuck School of Business. So, both chalked it up to a fun day of messaging but then went their separate ways (though Ryan likes to bring up that he did reach out a month or so later and was ghosted by Mary-Katherine. Oops. Timing though, people---it just wasn't right). It wasn't until Mary-Katherine dipped her toes back into the app world at the start of the new year, about six months later, that she re-matched with Ryan. This time Mary-Katherine didn't want to let it just end with a good few messages back and forth. So, she boldly asked Ryan to not only come to Montpelier for a date, but to come up for a Farmer's Night concert at the state capitol. She sort of downplayed that it was her place of work and that practically the whole General Assembly would be milling around the town. Ryan came up nonetheless and despite Mary-Katherine's attempts to keep the date on the down low, they quickly became the talk of the town. Smiling faces and loud whispers of "who is that with Mary-Katherine?" filled the House chamber as they tried to scurry to their seats (seats that required the two to literally have to parade in front of a packed room full of people waiting to see the Vermont Symphony Orchestra play. *Mary-Katherine did reserve seats in a more discrete place but they got there a little late. Timing issues again! Notice a trend?). So, the only two seats left were at the very front of the room. The whispers and looks only continued as Ryan reached for Mary-Katherine's hand as the orchestra started to play (Bold, Ryan. Bold). The rest is history. The apps were quickly deleted. Farmer's Night became a weekly date night for the two and here we are today.