We're getting married!

Typical college Friday night. At the Underground bar for 2 for 1's. I went out with my friends to destress, after filming some scenes for a Final Video project for class. Gathered over near the Skee-Ball, my friend spotted a guy friend. We decided to go over and chat with him and his group. The night was young. I could here the music gradually getting louder and louder, over the sea of people crowding into the bar. I got to talking to a guy in the group, about a mutual friend connection we had. After about five minutes of talking. I noticed this guy just staring at us. Came off a little weird to me, but I really like his striped sweater. So I decided to introduce myself. "Hi. My name is Tanya. " Hey. I'm Dan." We ended up exchanging numbers, I said I would see him at the next bar. As per usual, like I always do when meeting someone new. I forgot his name. Frantically trying not to lose his number. I put him in my phone as This Guy. Only my loose fingers only mattered to type out the letters THIS GI. When we next saw each other, I was showing him my phone that I texted him my number, only to show him that I did not know his name. We laughed, and I never forgot his name after that. We danced until bar close and then parted our ways. The next day I found him on all forms of social media. Cause I'm a Mass Media Major. That's what I do. Dan texted me 2 days later.

...and millions of outfits on the floor later. I am finally on my first date with Dan. It's your typical first date. We go to dinner at the Bicker Inn, I order Nachos. Which is apparently what French fries are called at an Irish Pub. You know how the first few times you start hanging out with someone is kind of awkward, a little uncomfortable, don't want to come off as weird and just are very cautious of everything you do? Well I never felt like that with Dan. Now I don't know about him, but I fell into comfortable with him real quick. It was just easy, like I could be me. That's how I think it should be. When I ordered Nachos, Dan knew I was expecting something else. Not this load of fries they gave me. It is to this day one of our many inside jokes. After we ate, we had some time to kill. So we grabbed some drinks at a "local" joint. We then ended our typical date at the movies. We saw a Will Ferrell movie. Get Hard to be exact. Not your typical first date movie, I know. We snuck in snacks we bought before we went into the movie, and hid them all in our pockets. We would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for the meddling movie attendant. "Ma'am. You can't bring those into the theater." As he points to my back jeans pocket, where my Sour Patch Kids were easily seen in broad daylight. Sneaking in 4 out of 5 snacks into a movie theater on a first date isn't too shabby though. At the end of the movie, a second date was scheduled.

December 22, 2017 I am obsessed with Christmas. That basic white girl sipping hot cocoa, listening to Christmas music way before Thanksgiving and watching Hallmark Christmas movies, that girl everyone talks about. I am her. Dan knows this all too well. Which is how he knew I was dying to go see the Bentleyville Tour of Lights in Duluth. America's Largest free walk through display of Christmas Lights. When he told me that he made plans for us to go up and experience the lights it was the ultimate Christmas present. Little did I know, he had another gift up his sleeve. We arrived at the lights and it was cold. Like I was decked to the nines in layers, cold. But the lights were worth it. We started walking through the lights & Dan was on his phone, texting someone very eagerly it seemed, but I was honestly too distracted by the lights to care. We approached a zone where there were fire pits to warm up by, drink hot cocoa and then there were these lit up Christmas Ornaments that people were taking pictures in. "Dan! We should take a picture under it!" "Yeah! That's a great idea." We get in this rather long line, to wait our turn to take our picture. When we are up next, Dan completely bails and says he doesn't want to take a picture right now. I was like what!? We waited in this line for how long and now you decide you don't want to take a picture? "Um okay? Why don't you want to take a picture with me?" "I do, just not here." "Okay well I am going to warm up by the fire for a bit" "NO! You need to stay right here." "Dan. I am cold." "Nevermind! I have decided I want to take a picture by the ornament." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? So I follow him to the large ornament, and it all happened so fast, but I stood by him to get our picture taken. I kept trying to put my arm around him, but it was like he kept moving away & then I looked into the crowd and saw his friends & was completely baffled why they were here. I turned to Dan and he was on one knee with a ring. I SAID YES!