Part I

I love telling the story of how John and I met—it’s something truly special to both of us.

John and I first connected online in early January 2024. At the time, I wasn’t really looking for a lifelong partner—or anyone, for that matter. But after two weeks of chatting back and forth, we finally made plans to meet in person.

Now, if you know me, you can probably guess what happened next. The past few Minnesota winters had been pretty uneventful, with hardly any good snowstorms. But, of course, on the night of our first date, the lightest dusting of snow started falling. And what did I do? I canceled—just 25 minutes before I was supposed to be there. Oops!

Part II

Guilt quickly set in, so I asked to reschedule, knowing I absolutely had to follow through this time—no excuses. At this point, John was convinced I was catfishing him. I had deleted my Hinge profile, and with no trace of me on social media, he had no way of knowing if I was real.

Finally, we set a new date: January 14th. I had just finished work that afternoon and was completely drained, but I threw on a random outfit, pushed myself out the door, and texted John to let him know I was on my way. Somehow, I ended up getting to the restaurant before him—shocking, I know! If you’re not 15 minutes early, you’re late, right? That little surprise definitely threw John for a loop.

Feeling unusually bold (and with nothing to lose), I walked in, got us a table, and waited. When John arrived, he asked the host where “the pretty lady” was—and just thinking about that moment makes me fall in love with him all over again.

John ordered an Old Fashioned, and I—well, I had a vodka water. We talked. For two and a half hours, we lost track of time. And from that night on, the rest is history.

Part III

It didn’t take long for us to realize we were forever.

In April 2024, John surprised me with a birthday trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico. That was the moment I knew—I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.

From then on, our lives became a constant celebration of new beginnings. I had just gotten Finn, we were traveling together, I was introducing him to the world of aviation, and we spent countless nights cooking in the kitchen. Every little moment, every shared experience—it all became our favorite thing.

And that’s how our story began.

⸻

John proposed to me in July during our family vacation, surrounded by my loved ones—and to make it even more special, he surprised me by bringing my two best friends along. It was the most perfect moment, filled with so much love and joy.

Since then, John and I have continued to grow together, building a life filled with laughter, adventure, and unwavering support for one another. We moved into our first apartment, creating a space that truly feels like home. We’ve explored new places together, making unforgettable memories along the way. With new jobs and exciting opportunities on the horizon, we’ve embraced every challenge and milestone hand in hand.

As we look ahead, our future is full of possibilities. We’ve talked about the idea of moving out of Minnesota, ready to start a new chapter somewhere fresh and exciting. Wherever life takes us, one thing is certain—we’ll be navigating it together, side by side, just like we always have.

This is just the beginning of our forever, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.