Valentina and I met on Tinder, my Tinderella, she happened to be out of town on a vacation with her family at the time so we weren't able to actually meet until two or three weeks after we started talking. Valentina doesn't have a regular work schedule so between that and the vacation I thought she was blowing me off, but I kept trying and eventually she agreed to go on a date with me. Our first date was at a restaurant called Double Dogs, at the time I assumed Colombians loved spicy food like I do and I thought I was going to impress her by getting the buffalo mac and cheese but with a spicier sauce. I was looking at her when I went to take the first bite, and that bite happened to be almost all hot sauce and no mac and cheese so I had to hold back from choking on it because I didn't want her to think I was weak! We talked about any and everything, our views on the world and life, I could tell she was something special whether she thought the same of me or not. Our second date, which I kind of consider our first, was to Frankie's Funk Park. We played putt putt and did some arcade games, I taught her how to shoot a little on one of the games there and that's when I felt the spark. We had our first kiss when I dropped her off back at home and I couldn't stop thinking about her since then! It was funny because when we first started dating her parents were in town for an extended vacation and living with her and her sister so we had to sneak around like we were in high school again. I forget if it was our next date or not, but she invited me downtown to go out with her and her family and that's when I got to meet everyone for the first time. It was a bit overwhelming, as most of you know I'm not the most social person, but everyone was very inviting and I knew that they were good people. Eventually they accepted me as their own, so I am now an honorary Paisa, el Gringo Paisa. For those of you who don't know, Paisa refers to people from the Medellin area of Colombia. Over the next couple of months we continued seeing each other and I eventually got my own apartment. I was able to start having her over for dinner, it took me a while to figure out what she really liked to eat, but I think that she fell in love with my cooking when I made her spaghetti for the first time and I think that's the reason she stuck around! I later found out that her pet name for me when talking to her family was Mi Quesito, her little piece of cheese. We took our first vacation with just the two of us to Isle of Palms for the 4th of July one year, I remember we were watching the fireworks on the boardwalk and that's when I realized that she was the one I want to spend my life with. Everything about our relationship comes so easy, we both value our relationship highly and will work through any bump in the road together. What I love about being with Valentina is that she is a loving and empathetic person, we are always laughing with each other when we're together and she is always there to support me when I need it the most. She can turn my worst days into my best with just a hug and a kiss, and I hope I am able to do the same to her. I'm excited for us to continue to grow and develop together, and make more memories with our friends and family. I could continue to go on and on about all the things I love about her, but for those of you that have met her you already know, and for those of you who haven't you will understand my love for her as soon as you meet her. Te amo mucho, mi amor

It didn’t take us long to realize we had found something special. Our early dates were effortless and filled with laughter, we probably didn’t know back then where this was going to lead, but I’m sure we both felt that was exactly how we wanted our lives to be. Getting to know each other was an incredible journey. If you know Mik, you know how smart he is; he’s truly an old soul trapped in a handsome young body (lol!). I’ve learned countless things from him, and at the same time, I’ve been able to show him my real self; my culture, my family and even a completely new language, and he’s always been open for that. He gave me the space to find my most genuine self, and grow beside him. Dating Mik was the greatest experience of my life and I didn't think it could get any better than that - but I was wrong! Living with him has shown me how great life can be when you are with the right person, he’s the most thoughtful, loving and funny person you'll ever meet. I don’t have enough words to tell how grateful and blessed I feel every day that I get to spend with him. We have had the best days together, but we have also supported each other through the hard moments. He has been my rock, my biggest supporter, and my number one cheerleader. What excites me the most now is knowing that this is just the start of a great life together. Te amo, Mik! I can’t wait to see what the future brings to this beautiful life that we’re building together.