Our story isn't super romantic, but it did start on instagram one evening. I (Cat) decided to be bold and slide into Jake's DMs and ask him if he wanted to go grab coffee once Holiday break was over. Naturally, the next week (a day before the coffee date), I felt a tap on my shoulder in line for a popular UC bar. It was Jake. Since we had never actually met in person, it was a moment of....Cat? Jake? Wow...what are the odds?

The next day I messaged Jake about the coffee date (apparently I did not play any sort of hard to get at that point in time....) We ended up going to Rohs Street Cafe and really hitting it off (in the non-bar setting). Jake wasn't my "type" but there was just something to him that really intrigued me. I remember him ordering a cappuccino, and to this day, it is still such a core memory of the first days of us.

After that date, we went on an official dinner date (where Jake picked carless me up in his red Mazda) to Incline Public House overlooking the Cincinnati skyline. It is still one of our absolute favorite places to go, and just an 8 minute drive from our house over in the West side of Cincy which is really special!

Everything was going really well until I told my dad I met a super nice guy, and I *think* he's my boyfriend. Well, dad came into town for work and took us to dinner. The first thing he said was...."I googled you." I thought for SURE that was it. Dad had ruined this great relationship within 2 minutes of sitting down. Luckily, Jake is the most relaxed person I've personally ever met, and still, to this day, says "that's a fair thing to do..."

It's all history after that date. Jake and I have a way of complimenting one another really well. I am extremely chaotic and think everything is the end of the world, and Jake is always deep in thought with a pretty sensible solution. :)

These days we spend a ton of our time with our fur babies, Joey and Coco. Coco was a foster dog I just cried over for the days leading up to the adoption event I had to take him to. Jake told me he was for it either way, so when I came home with Coco and adoption paperwork, they became best buds. Coco is definitely his pup. We also love to check out new food around Cincy, watch way, way, way, too much impractical jokers, and work on house projects together.

Our story isn't super romantic, but it is a story of me following my intuition. Somehow I knew he was a catch. Thank you, Taylor Strohmenger, for helping me build up the courage to message him that November evening. ;)

We can't wait to celebrate the best way we know how... with good food, good music, and some festive holiday drinks.

xx,

Cat