This story begins in a grimy cement floor basement on 17th and Berks Street in Philadelphia. Jess was 18 and Ian 21. Jess was ending her freshman year at Temple University while Ian was finishing his junior year. When Ian saw her, he knew he had to talk to her. When Jess saw his blue eyes, she knew she had to make her way over to him. She started dancing to the live music right near him, getting his attention. He struck up a conversation with her during a break in the show. They bonded over their love of the "basement show" music scene at Temple. Ian got the courage to ask to exchange numbers. Jess handed him her Samsung slide (non-smartphone... It was 2013 and they were the only kids in college without them) and Ian put his number in. She tried calling him, as she promised she would, so he would also receive her number, but the basement did not have good service and, without her realizing it, the call did not go through. Later that night, Ian spotted Jess leaving and called her out for never calling. She laughed and told him it was a mistake, then called him again right then. Ian was relieved.

Ian, ever the cool guy, waited three whole days to text her. Jess reminds him frequently that he's lucky she did not simply forget about him and move on. After all, there was no shortage of social opportunities at Temple. When he finally texted her, they set a plan to meet up on campus. By happenstance, every single person Ian had ever met bumped into them that night, making Jess feel like she was with a minor Temple celebrity.

Getting to know each other more and more, they continued to bond about music, movies, books, and art over the next few months until Ian finally asked to make things official.

In 2015, two years into the relationship and during Jess's senior year at Temple, they got their first apartment together in the Germantown section of Philly. It was a 600-square-foot studio apartment with no privacy whatsoever. However, in that little apartment is where they continued to grow their love, experienced some tough times, and started their next educational journeys with Ian picking up a court reporting trade and Jess beginning law school.

In 2018, they moved to the building next door, into a slightly more spacious one-bedroom apartment with some more modern upgrades. They enjoyed their outdoor patio and spending time at Wissahickon Park and in neighboring Manayunk. Ian got his first job as a court reporter and Jess continued her law school education. These were the years of the grind for them, just trying to get to the next stages of their adult lives.

In 2019, they moved to New Hope, PA to be closer to Jess's first job out of law school. They loved living there, spending time at Triumph Brewery and shopping in town. They enjoyed being close to the Delaware River and spending spring and summer days strolling through their neighborhood and the surrounding area.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, changing the lifestyle of everyone in the U.S., but Ian and Jess made the most of it. They spent their nights playing games, doing puzzles, watching movies, and listening to music. They were well suited to spending a lot of time together and, while they missed their family and friends, that's the period where they learned to entertain themselves and that they genuinely enjoyed simply being together. It was during this time that it became even clearer to them that they had stretched and grown from being crazy kids to adults in a partnership.

In 2021, they again moved to the little town of High Bridge, NJ to be closer to Jess's new job. Since then, they have enjoyed living near the Nassau Trail, Columbia Trail, and the High Bridge Falls, where Ian proposed in April 2023. Jess said yes before Ian could even ask the question.

Over the course of their eleven-year relationship, they have experienced many great times and many trying times. Their story is certainly not traditional and they took some big risks together, but they learned that true love and partnership will carry them through whatever life throws at them, including the next chapter as a married couple.