We originally met on an online dating app and after a few good laughs, we decided it was time to meet in person. We did not plan our timing well for our first date. Chicago was a disaster – Covid lockdown, riots were abundant, and it was the worst snowstorm the city has seen in years. We still wanted to meet and decided to grab a drink at Fado’s Irish Pub. Our uber drivers nearly skidded into each other outside of the restaurant. Excellent start! To our surprise, the entire place was empty and we had it to ourselves. We had immediate symmetry and found many things in common, including our love of traveling, both graduating from the University of Iowa, and most importantly, enjoying each other’s company. Even though Mike switched tables 3 times during the first date to find the optimal chair for his back, Anna didn’t hesitate at all to a second date. As the months and years passed, we continued to understand how lucky each of us was to have each other. We moved in together in Lakeview in December 2024 with our puppy Kado, who protects us from everything from intruders to excessive wind. We’ve been fortunate enough to have some amazing trips, travelling to Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa City, Florida, Tennessee, New York City, Arizona, Switzerland, and France, with many more to come. On Friday the 13th, Mike knew it was time to “lock it in” (in the words of Grandma Toulon) and proposed to Anna. We have been celebrating ever since. We feel the best is yet to come and are so excited to celebrate this night with our closest family and friends.