It was a dark and stormy night. Well, it actually wasn't but I think thats a cool opening line. I (Marc) was sitting in Cafe Antico in Alpharetta, GA. In front of me was a cappuccino and my iPad, opened to some really impressive looking web pages....stock trades, Bali vacation homes, Ferrari dealerships....and a host of others. In just a few minutes, I'd be meeting Tania for the first time and it was important that I present a completely inaccurate and overly inflated version of myself....because that's what online dating is all about :) Just 5 days prior, I had broken every law of online dating. I had seen Tania's profile, meticulously scanned every pixel of her photos......and decided to message her. Yep....an actual message....no smiley emojis, no winks, no virtual hugs....just a good old fashioned message. She responded later that day. I think you are supposed to allow a few weeks between first text and a face-to-face date.....but, for us, 5 days did the trick. When she walked in, my brain immediately started scanning her.....walks upright...opposable thumbs.... 2 eyes.....all good so far. There was just one issue....she was wearing a hat. Why the hat???? I would spend the better part of the next 3 hours trying to figure it out. Maybe she has horns.....a bald spot....or one of those really misshapen heads. The thought that she might just like hats was completely out of the question. There would have to be a second date....and a chance for proper cranial exposure. So, after 3 hours of wonderful conversation...we decided to meet again. Much to my relief, there was no hat on the second date.....and all was right with the world. Four months later, we found ourselves driving through Tuscany, then Slovenia. A few months after that we were walking through an ice cave together in Iceland. And with each adventure, we just can't seem to wait for the next one. So, now, 2+ years after our first date, we set sail the greatest adventure of all.