Juan and I met in the most “Miami modern” way, on Hinge! It was a hectic work week, and I remember second guessing whether I even wanted to go on a date I had so quickly agreed to, especially after realizing he was five whole years older than me. He chose Tap 42 in Doral for our weeknight meet up, and I thought, “What an odd location for a date.” Still, after some convincing (and sending my location to two close friends), I went. We didn’t eat, though I was starving and pretended I wasn’t, and Juan ordered a Guinness, which I found both questionable and a little amusing. By the end of the night, I was simply relieved: he was normal. The days that followed brought slow replies (was it something I said, or just the age gap?), but soon a few more dates and endless laughs made us inseparable. Then came his confession: he didn’t like dogs. A near deal breaker, until Lily (our now 60 lb golden retriever) smothered him with hugs, and fate worked its magic. He fell for her too. Today, I can’t imagine a sweeter, more intelligent, and kind person to share life with. And apparently, I’ve fallen for him so much that even his Venezuelan expressions have rubbed off. People constantly ask if I’m Venezuelan. For the record, I’m Cuban. We feel so lucky to have found each other and can’t wait to begin this next chapter surrounded by the people we love most.