I was 20 and attending Eastern Michigan University when I first met Jack. It was the summer, and I was visiting a friend’s house for a going-away party for two friends who were moving out of state. I knew everyone there except for one person—a new face in the crowd. I found this new face to be pretty handsome, so I decided I needed the scoop on this guy. Who was he? Why hadn’t I seen him before? And, most importantly, would I be seeing him again?

I decided I needed to go directly to the keeper of this information - no, not Handsome-New-Guy himself, that would have made way too much sense. I instead asked my friend, who just so happened to be dating the new guy’s friend and would naturally have all of the details I needed. My friend, the keeper of information, shared three important things: 1) That’s Jack Jacoby, and yes, he’s really cute. 2) He’s in the military, stationed in Hawaii, and doesn’t make it back to Ohio often. 3) Don’t waste your time.

I was torn; on one hand, I thought this guy was pretty cute. On the other hand, I was a broke college student who could hardly afford to go out to dinner, let alone buy a flight to Hawaii. So, with a busy life, a shamefully low bank account balance, and a country in between us, I decided to take my friend's advice and not waste my time. We spent the rest of the night celebrating our friends who were leaving soon, and I didn't give any more thought to the situation with Handsome-New-Guy, now properly known as Jack.

Over the next couple of years, I continued my studies, attending school in Michigan, and happily carried on with my life while Jack lived in misery in Hawaii, longing for the day he would be reunited with me—obviously. Or at least that's how the story goes in my head. You'll need to ask him if you want the historically accurate version.

Then, in the fall of 2020, Jack and I crossed paths once again at our friend's house. I learned from this friend that Jack Jacoby was no longer in the military but was back home in Ohio. When he got there, I played it cool but was excited to see him again. Jack, on the other hand, didn't remember who I was, which is weird considering he spent his entire time in Hawaii pining for me, remember??

Anyway, I won't bore you with the rest of the details, but it was a great night and marked the start of our friendship. We bonded over our shared interests and similar taste in music, and through our friendship, I came to know him as more than just a handsome face but also a kind-hearted, witty, and thoughtful person.

A few months later, I came across a wedding video of a young couple on Instagram. The video was sweet and sentimental and made me cry. Yes, I was crying over two strangers on the internet, but who hasn't done that? The video was touching but would have soon been forgotten if it hadn't been for the bride and groom's names - Hope and Jack. Not that our names are uncommon, but something about it felt a little kismet. Though I'm not one to believe in signs (sorry, I'm boring), I decided to go for it.

On Easter of 2021, I met Jack for coffee, which turned into a 7-mile walk around town. We talked for hours and unabashedly enjoyed each other's company. A couple of weeks later, I invited him to be my date to a wedding (thanks for getting married and giving me an excuse to see Jack in a suit, Fran), and shortly after that, we took a road trip to North Carolina to visit my sister.

We officially started dating on June 20, 2021, and I haven't looked back since. I'm incredibly blessed to have the bright, kind-hearted, funny, loving, and all-around wonderful man that Jack is as my fiance. I can't wait to celebrate with all of you soon when I make him my husband and he makes me his wife!