The Start of Us We met three and a half years ago through a little something known as online dating. I was new to this world so I decided to do some research and learn about the proper etiquette and best practices in online dating. I found out that the majority of successful relationships started when the woman initiated communication with the guy. So, when I saw Ben's profile picture appear on my screen, I knew exactly what I needed to do-click on the "flirt" button! The End...just kidding... Ben replied to my flirt and we exchanged numbers. And after a week of talking, we met in St. Genevieve, MO on May 6th for our first date. Being that we lived two hours away from each other (me in Carbondale, IL and Ben in St. Louis, MO), St. Genevieve was roughly half way between us. After the best first date ever, we continued to see each other almost every weekend for a little over a year - alternating weekends in which one of us drove to the other's home (a two hour drive, one way). In June of 2018, I left Carbondale for good and moved in with Ben in St. Louis. The Proposal Rose and I planned a short weekend getaway last March to celebrate both of our birthdays We decided to take a train to Chicago. We left on March 7th, we arrived in Chicago, checked into the hotel, and then left for a walk down Michigan Ave. Little did Rose know that I had painfully traveled all five and a half hours to Chicago with the ring box taped to my ankle. Upon arrival, I realized that I needed to pick a spot sooner than later. And there it was - the corner of Michigan Ave and Chicago Ave. Next, I needed to find someone to pretend to take a picture of us and make sure Rose did not suspect a thing So, I asked some teenage girls (thinking they would not steal my phone) and asked Rose to stand in front of the street signs. All this time Rose was wondering why the hell are we standing here!? Well, she found out and here we are getting ready to become Mr. and Mrs. Sommerhauser!