It all started on a May day in Chicago back in 2017. Jen traveling from California for a girls weekend, and Matt hungover coming downstairs from the sweatbox, one bedroom, attic apartment back at 1829 Hermitage. The event was a whiskey fest, we were both in our element. Jen still says to this day the first thing she noticed about me was my butt, and I'll cherish that forever.

Best part of this story? Neither one of us actually wanted the other to be there that day, but little did we know that may have been the most important event we each begrudgingly attended.

As one may guess, the whiskey fest went exactly as you may have assumed with one key difference. Both Jen and I had pulled aside our respective friends to figure out if the other had mentioned anything about them. My friend - "yeah go for it" - wow guys really do have a way with words. Whiskey fest is over and things seem to be going pretty ok with this California beauty. Jen and I are talking, but I really can't tell if she sees me as the man of her dreams. We leave, it's chilly outside, and I offer my sweater to her even though the elbow of my undershirt is ripped. I roll up my sleeves to cover it up and act like the cold doesn't bother me (it was like 40 and I was not in good shape, the whiskey may have helped). It was worth it.

After some food and re-fueling the gang decides the next stop is naturally a piano bar. Our first choice in River North didn't have a piano man for the next couple hours so I suggest my favorite piano bar the Zebra Lounge. After assuring the group many times that it was in fact a piano bar and not a ... club of sorts ... everyone decides to join. I promise everyone that "it will get packed in here, just gotta wait a bit" and "I'm totally getting them to play 'Scotty Doesn't Know' today" it's back to the whiskey gingers and some fun.

Our friends make an early exit right as the piano man starts doing his thang and ask if we would like to leave too. I state that considering it's a Saturday there's no way I'm going home yet and shockingly Jen decides she would like to stay out as well.

She wouldn't sing in front of me at the piano bar that night because she clearly didn't want to make me feel bad with her beautiful singing renditions. Best part? As I'm waiting for the bathroom I look over across the room to see my future wife singing along to The Backstreet Boys (ok maybe I was too). I could see how red her faced was from across the room - now I struggle to find songs in the car she can't sing along to.

The night progresses and we decide that we haven't had enough, but I want to show my new out of town friend a good Chicago view. Cindy's Rooftop it is! Little did I know Jen has been there many times and didn't have the heart to tell me it wasn't a fun new place for her, she really is a sweetheart. Another whiskey later and we decide we want to see the bean (let's call it midnight-ish). Shockingly they don't just allow anyone around there after hours, especially not us, and we are caught trying to sneak in (clearly we weren't as stealthy as we thought).

As the night comes to a close, I have no clue where Jen is staying but assume it's with her friend who lives 45 minutes away from our current location. I ask if she needs a place to stay and offer her my couch, jk, I let her have the bed that night.

We wake up (me obviously way too early) and I suggest we get food. We go to a restaurant nearby and for some reason eggs just aren't sitting too well with me that morning. Afterwards I suggest we engage in the Sunday apartment routine of watching our girl Giada cook up unrealistic meals on the Food Network. We exchange numbers and she's on her way. I spend the remainder of my Sunday watching Netflix in bed like Sunday's are meant to be.

Later on that day we make plans to meet up the next day for lunch, but I end up changing the plans because us and our friends from the day before decide to do pizza for dinner. I figure that lunch and dinner may be a little too much time together on her last day of vacation in Chicago. We're chatting all day and things seem to be going great, solid conversation, etc. I call her as we're about to meet up and when she picks up she just says "hello, this is Jen" clearly she hasn't even have my number saved...

Dinner was solid, it's Lou's so you can't go wrong. We rekindle a conversation from late Saturday night in which Jen invites me out to LA, and I assure her that I will in fact be taking her up on that offer so she better be serious.

After dinner the deal is that we're going to drop me off at the blue line and then Jen at the airport. My friend texts me on the way there "just kiss her, man" which would have been so weird as they watch from the front seat. What might have actually been more awkward was what actually occurred in the coming moments. We get to the blue line and Jen decides that saying goodbye entails her not even unbuckling her seatbelt to give me the most awkward side-hug. I interpret that as a "yeah, see you never." She might as well just given me a high five.

I hadn't even made it to the train platform before receiving a text from Jen addressing what may have been the most awkward moment in human history. Against all odds we stayed in touch and I did take Jen up on that LA trip. Little did I know she would top that backseat awkward, goodbye side-hug with another even more awkward side-hug when picking me up from the airport a month later.

Now that you’ve finally read through Matt's two sections, you’re now probably thinking Jen met her match in who can talk (or write) more but I still have him. For your sake though, I’ll quickly “fill in the missing pieces” that got us to where we are today - engaged and getting married!

After my weekend in Chicago, Matt did come visit Los Angeles. Yes, I was awkward when he first landed at LAX. Yes, I did quickly give him a weird side hug before running back into the car, seatbelt secured before he could even ask where to put his bags. And yes, I did make him run errands with me before going back to my place. What can I say - I was nervous. But hey, I think that's what won him over :)

Anyway, there is no other way to figure out if you like each other then spending a day off the coast of LA at Catalina Island. We quickly learned we travel well together ... well, kind of. After a few too many drinks the night before, Matt made me hike for 3 (maybe 4) hours. I may have yelled a few times and almost left him there alone on the mountain. We then went kayaking where we fell overboard and I then accidentally whacked him with the kayak as we were trying to make it to shore. It was love at first adventure, right?!

But in all seriousness, it was one of my favorite trips we have ever done together! I always told Matt if we survived an island adventure during what was really only the second weekend we hung out then we could get through almost anything.

After that whirlwind weekend, we continued our long-distance relationship. Lots of phone calls before 9 p.m. CST of course, because Matt is a grandpa and goes to bed early. Many back and forth visits to Chicago and Los Angeles. Although we were on a two-hour time difference and miles apart it was always just easy for us.

Eventually, we knew one of us needed to move if we'd really make it work. We actually debated about this one for some time. I'd always wanted to move to Chicago and almost did right after college so it was a no brainer for me to move. Matt wanted a new adventure in sunny Los Angeles and get away from Chicago winters. Clearly, I won this debate, although I may regret it every February ... or May when it still snows.

So after 8 years of living in LA, I packed up my bags, said goodbye to friends, found a new job, and moved across the country to the Windy City. Matt and I were finally living in the same city and fell in love (*cue the RomCom music*).

Over these past two-and-a-half years, we've been fortunate enough to be one another's favorite travel buddy (Matt learned to stop asking to go on hikes), bond over our love for food, and of course, partners in crime for our famous Sunday Funday's (if you haven't experienced this, feel free to visit us). Most importantly, we've been able to grow stronger together as a couple and excited for what the future holds. We can't wait to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with our family and friends!

P.S. - Maybe I was longer than Matt. What can I say, we're not short-winded people. Good thing we're not giving speeches at our wedding :)