We’re getting married!

In the spring of 2019, Lauren and Ryan matched on the dating app Bumble, where Lauren messaged first with a very thoughtful message: “Hey, what’s up?” From that very moment, Ryan knew Lauren was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with… just kidding! They chatted a little about dogs and the weather, of course, before deciding to meet up for a Wednesday evening coffee date at the Midtown Scholar bookstore. Ryan was beginning to think that Lauren had stood him up, but they were just wandering around on different levels of the bookstore (and Lauren may have been a little late). Lauren nervously called Ryan to see if he was there, and sure enough, they found each other on the stairs in the middle of the store. They ordered coffees and quickly realized that the bookstore was in the middle of a book talk about a topic that was not quite suitable for a first date. So, they decided to walk to the nearby Millworks restaurant for a drink. After reflecting on the first date, Ryan and Lauren realized they had so much in common. So much, in fact, that Ryan thought Lauren was trolling him before that date. For example, “How can we like the same exact music?!” he thought. The next day, Ryan bought two tickets to a Father John Misty and Jason Isbell concert and invited Lauren to join him. Lauren responded with an emphatic “Yes!” Now, that concert was a few months away, so Lauren and Ryan had a few more dates to get to know each other. On one of these dates, they planned a trip to Denver, Colorado, for that summer. They were quickly becoming each other’s favorite person. While staying in a cozy cabin near Rocky Mountain National Park, Ryan and Lauren declared their love to each other for the first time. In January 2020, Ryan and Lauren moved in together—yes, right before the COVID-19 pandemic. They survived (some might even say these introverts thrived) during the shutdowns, working from home, and isolation together. Fast forward through studying for Master’s degrees (L: M.Ed in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, R: MS in Analytics), a few trips to mountainous regions and more cozy cabins, thousands of cappuccinos, and an infinite number of Lucy pets… In 2024, they took their annual anniversary weekend trip to a random place (the rules for picking a destination: 1. Within a three-hour drive; 2. Has at least two coffee shops; 3. Trees). Lauren chose a random town from Google Maps that met the criteria: Narrowsburg, NY. Lauren planned an activity that she thought Ryan would enjoy—a train ride on the Pocono Express—and Ryan planned an activity he thought Lauren would like—a visit to the Woodstock Museum/Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (the site of Woodstock ‘69). On April 20th, after arriving at the museum too close to closing time, the nice lady at the front desk let them in free of charge. With the place nearly to themselves, they walked around admiring the music and history of Woodstock. After admiring all the groovy exhibits, they walked outside to see the magical views and the site where once stood a stage that held iconic performances (Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Santana, and Jimi Hendrix, to name a few). The vibe was peace and love, man. While overlooking this view, it was nearing sunset when Ryan asked Lauren if she would marry him! She said, “Yes!” Being the introverts that they are, Lauren and Ryan plan to exchange vows in a private ceremony during early October 2025 in one of their favorite places: Stowe, Vermont.