The internet is a funny place. I met Tom when my friend, Susan, was "playing Bumble" on my phone and swiped right on him for me. We decided to meet for dinner at 90 Miles to Cuba for a first official date! In the Lyft ride to the restaurant I texted Tom telling him I was nervous and that I'd forgotten to put lipstick on. He, in an effort to make me less nervous, told me that he'd put on his best Taylor Swift red lip color and was happy to know I wouldn't be able to upstage him. From that date on Tom continues to make me laugh and smile. He not only embraces my silly nature, but encourages it. I don't know if I ever had a moment where I knew Tom was "the one," but every passing day, "experience" (looking at you 2020), and adventure Tom makes me laugh more, smile a lot, and brings out the best parts of me. I'm so excited to spend my life with such a funny, kind, and loving man living out a love story that Taylor Swift wishes she could write.

April 2018 was a glorious time. The beginning of the month featured a boy’s trip to Charleston SC and eventually Augusta GA to watch a round of the Masters. Two of my favorite people in the world got married in mid-April (shoutout to Hillen and K-Rob). But it was towards the very end of the month that the best thing of all happened - Megs "swiped right" on me.* (The Asterisk to note that it was actually Megs' friend Susan who swiped right). Presumably at some point I actually was chatting with Megs before our first date - a dinner that was going great until our waiter ominously stated, "it's coming" (referring to a Thunderstorm...we had outdoor seating). My initial impressions of Megs have held true. She’s funny. She’s smart. She’s laid back. She’s drop-dead gorgeous. But her strongest trait is how selfless she is. That’s something that couldn’t be seen through a dating app or a dinner; but shows day in and day out. Everything she does comes from a place of love and is intended to make those she holds dear happy. (As her roommate and fiancé this really works out in my favor.)

The good news? Living with one another during a global pandemic which required us to mostly stay at home by ourselves proved to be the “final test” that confirmed I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Megs. The bad news? Those same circumstances made it tough to plan a surprise engagement. Fortunately, I have smart friends and family that served as my engagement “consiglieres”. Even more fortunate, Megs also has smart and caring friends who provided invaluable guidance and support. I asked her in front of a Church whose bells used to wake us up on weekends. She (eventually) said yes after initially falling over. The ring was a tad (WAY TOO) small. The rest was perfect.