Jorge and I met in Viña del Mar, Chile, on a Saturday night in August 2010. It was my first full day ever in Chile, as part of my study abroad experience in college. I was at a welcome party that my host university was having for exchange students at a seaside apartment. Jorge was also a student at the time, studying law at a different university. At the party, I remember being very frustrated because practically everyone was American and speaking English, while I was in Chile to practice speaking Spanish with the locals. I stepped out into the hallway for a moment as I considered leaving the party, but something inside me told me to relax, stay a little while longer, and take advantage of the moment. When I went back inside the apartment and out to the balcony, I saw more people, and I started walking up to the few Chileans that were there and introducing myself in Spanish. Jorge was in one of the first groups I introduced myself to. Instead of a drink in hand, I had a little pink notebook where I was taking notes about new vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. Jorge thought that was cute. When I got to talk with Jorge one-on-one, he said to me: “It seems like you are really interested in the history and culture of Chile. I can show you around Valparaíso (this is the neighboring city to Viña del Mar, kind of like Minneapolis and Saint Paul are the Twin Cities in Minnesota).” I thought Jorge was super cute and so I was very excited about this idea, and also a little nervous! He asked me for my phone number and said that he would call me that Monday so we could go out together. Monday came around and Jorge called in the afternoon, after I was done with class, to arrange our outing. I was a little nervous because I didn’t know him, and I was a young girl in a foreign country (I’d only been there a few days), so I asked if I could bring a friend to join us. He said “Of course!” Years later, we laugh about it, because the friend I brought was a very petite girl (not exactly a “bodyguard” if that was my intent). Anyway, my friend and I waited for Jorge in Plaza Sotomayor, and then the three of us walked together around the hills of Valparaíso. We saw the Museo a Cielo Abierto (Open Sky Museum), which is a collection of murals. Jorge and I had a lovely time on this outing, where we continued to spark each other’s interest through our mutual appreciation of art, music, history, and more. About a week later, we went on our first one-on-one date, and for the next few weeks we continued to see each other often. Then, on September 18, 2010, right after watching the midnight fireworks show of Chile’s bicentennial at Muelle Barón Pier in Valparaíso, Jorge asked me to be his girlfriend, and I said yes! The rest of my study abroad experience in Chile was filled with magical moments that Jorge and I had together. Even at this early stage of our relationship, I knew Jorge and I had something special; one day I told him, “When I’m with you, I feel like the girl I’ve always been and the woman I’ve always wanted to be.” And the rest is history! We have continued to make so many beautiful memories together over the years, and we are very excited for this next phase of our relationship, as we continue to evolve and grow.

Fast-forward to today, we are living together in Santiago, Chile, where we have lived for the last three years. And now we are ready for Minnesota! It is our intention to move to Minnesota together as soon as we can within this next year. We will miss being close to Jorge’s family in Chile, but we are looking forward to being able to spend more quality time with Shannon’s family and friends in Minnesota. We’re also looking forward to experiencing more nature, the lakes, the changing seasons (fall leaves and winter snow!), and all the fun holidays that Minnesota does best – like Thanksgiving and Christmas! After we’re married and Jorge’s visa situation is ready to go, we’ll book flights to Minnesota as soon as we can. We will be traveling as light as possible, mostly with suitcases we carry with us on our flight. Because of this, once in Minnesota, we will basically be starting from scratch on setting up our apartment/living space. We’ll need to buy furniture and basic supplies, etc. Jorge and I would also really like to take a honeymoon in 2023 – our dream is to visit a new country together (besides Chile or the U.S.); something we have yet to do! We don’t have a destination picked out just yet, but right now we are looking at Europe or the Caribbean. This will truly be an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we are so grateful for your support in making this happen. So, this fund will go towards: • Any expenses associated with our move to Minnesota – some on flights and shipping costs, but mostly housing and other essentials for our new home in Minnesota. • Any expenses associated with our honeymoon trip (flights, hotels, food, excursions, etc.). The exact destination is TBD, and we’ll share updates on this site about where we end up going!

Our wedding celebration will be on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at Casas del Bosque Vineyard in Casablanca, Chile, at 12:30pm Chile time (9:30am Central). We will be having a very small ceremony with both Jorge’s and my immediate families and a few close friends in Chile. We will livestream the ceremony so that you can be present virtually! We’d love to have you be a part of our day in this way! You can find the Zoom link directly on our website, on the "Schedule" page! Once we are in Minnesota, we hope to have another, bigger celebration for our friends and family there! We’ll keep you posted!

Since we're planning to move from Chile to Minnesota in the next year, the best way to support us would be to contribute to our cash fund (described above) or to simply send your warm wishes. We would love to hear from you. Options: You can contribute to our cash fund: 1: Directly through Zelle (preferred): You can find me with the email: shmcevoy18@gmail.com 2. At our registry: https://www.zola.com/wedding/shannonandjorge2022/registry 3. Directly through PayPal: @ShannonMcEvoy Link: paypal.me/ShannonMcEvoy