In February 2021 Marissa and Jay met the old fashioned way…online! After a few days of messaging each other, Jay asked Marissa to talk on Facetime. Marissa thought the request was a little bizarre, but decided to participate anyway. Upon joining the call, she thought Jay was Scottish based on his “accent”?! However, Marissa quickly found out we were both from Chicago and both moved out to San Diego for new adventures. After the call, we set up our first in person date! The first date took place on the beautiful Coronado Island in San Diego, CA. Jay had planned the greatest first date in the history of first dates! We started by accidentally bike riding on the side of the highway accompanied by Semi Truck exhaust. The great conversation made the life threatening ride worth it. Next, we enjoyed a sushi dinner, the first of many, many, many more to follow. As the sun was setting, the date ended with a walk to a secluded and hidden section of beach at the edge of the island where we shared our first kiss (also the first of many, many, many more to come). From that moment forward our relationship continued to grow stronger with each passing day. We would make dinner together on the weekdays. Marissa as head chef and Jay as Sous Chef. We enjoyed weekends together exploring San Diego. We planned our first of many trips to come to Oahu, Hawaii. It was the trip of a lifetime. Everyday was spent exploring a new part of the island, eating amazing food and relaxing at the beach. This trip made us fall in love even more. After the trip to Hawaii, we were inseparable. We spent every night at the others apartment and decided it was time to take the next big step…move in together. Living together was natural and easy. We were just missing one thing…a dog! We found the perfect one, after a little searching, and he was quickly declared “The World’s Greatest Dog.” Theo joined our San Diego adventures and cooking nights, always getting a bite (even it was USDA prime filet mignon or $36/lb ahi tuna). On September 9th, 2023 Marissa and Jay took a trip to Coronado Island, San Diego. We ate brunch at the Little Frenchie then went for a walk to the same secluded section of beach where we shared our first kiss just 2 and half years earlier. Jay got down on one knee and asked Marissa to marry him. Marissa said “YES!” We spent the rest of the day and night celebrating. In March 2024, Marissa and Jay went on a food and wine tour across Germany, Spain, and France. Barcelona and San Sebastian were dream stops, and the trip ended with a rain soaked photo shoot in Paris followed by the best steak dinner we have ever had. In July 2024 Jay, Marissa, and the “World’s Greatest Dog - Theo” moved back to Illinois to build our lives together, start a family, and live happily ever after. Stay tuned for even better chapters to come!