On Nov 11, 2021, James and Michelle separately boarded flights to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Michelle was on a girls trip with her friends Lisa, Shannon, and Jane from the U.S.; and James was on a double bachelor party with 15 guys from Canada. The next day--Nov 12, 2021--Michelle and James met at the Hilton Playa del Carmen pool where they got to know each other over bottomless margaritas and under the warm Mexican sun. After the trip, Michelle returned to Washington, DC and James to Guelph, Canada. They stayed in touch over texts and phone calls and James decided to visit Michelle in DC in January 2022. What was supposed to be a short weekend visit turned into an extended stay when a snowstorm hit both DC and Toronto, cancelling flights and stranding James. But this storm gave the couple even more time to get-to-know each other and realize how much they enjoy having the other in their lives. In March 2022, Michelle and James decided to escape winter and return to Playa del Carmen, Mexico for a solo couple trip. They even accidentally booked the resort across the street from the Hilton where they first met! During this trip, Michelle asked James to visit her in DC again, this time to meet all of her friends. During that late April trip, the couple said "I love you" to each other and made it official! They were going to start dating, across international borders. In May 2022, Michelle made her first overnight trip to Canada! In Toronto, James booked a reservation for dinner atop the CN Tower and they went to see Cirque du Soleil. Since then, Michelle and James have visited each other in the U.S. or Canada nearly every month, and have taken trips to Mexico, France, the Bahamas, and Thailand together. They've traveled up and down the eastern seaboard, visiting Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay, Boston, New York City, DC and Virginia, Charlotte and the Carolinas, and even down to Florida. But 2026 brings the next big moments to their lives: a wedding in Toronto and a move to DC! (As they await approval from USCIS.) Michelle and James can't wait to celebrate with you in Toronto as they kick off the next phase of life. We hope to see you there!