We met the modern way — on Bumble — with a little push from Steph’s mum. Josh managed to sneak into Steph's 1km dating radius by visiting Toronto and passing within 600m of Margit's House. Despite living in different cities, we decided to meet up for our first date in Montreal's Plateau area in a small and quiet bar, but the universe decided to throw in a twist. As they both traveled towards the same part of the city, Josh sat in a subway car very much minding his own business. Steph, getting on at a later stop, saw the train on the platform and sprinted across the station. She made a dramatic (and graceful) leap through the doors just as they were closing, landing on the other side about 10 meters away from a startled Josh—quite the entrance into someone's life.

On March 2, 2024, we were in Istanbul, enjoying a trip full of amazing sights and experiences. Throughout the weekend, Josh had planned several potential engagement sites. He had booked a sunset cruise, but it was cloudy and rainy, and the views of the city didn’t quite have the right gravitas either. Josh carried the ring around in his pocket the whole weekend, as Steph attempted to drag him to all of the most dangerous areas of the city. In the end, the right night was on March 2nd, Josh had planned a romantic day, starting with a spa visit (though the spa required a bit more nudity than he anticipated) and then taking us to a rooftop terrace for a beautiful tasting menu with views of the city. So, just before midnight, with the Blue Mosque glowing in the background, Josh proposed by a fountain with a cute cat that wandered by as a witness.