Picture it:

Mid-February 2023 in Long Beach, NY - Justin is scrolling through his dating app folder on his phone that he’s essentially been using for ten years. JSwipe, OKCupid, Coffee Meets Bagel, Hinge, etc. Justin sees Peter on one of the apps: “The League”. Immediately Justin is attracted to a Jewish teacher with a Pete Buttigieg photo

and one photo with mud on his face (which Justin assumes is from the Dead Sea on a Birthright Israel trip)

(Actually vacation in Colombia...)

Mid-February 2023 in Haddonfield, NJ - After feeling lonely on Valentine’s Day, Peter’s sister, Sara, encourages him to download The League where he may find more relationship-oriented people.

Peter and Justin match.

Justin asks Peter what he’s looking for on the apps, expecting to hear what he usually hears “exploring,” “just seeing what’s up,” “no agenda really.” But Peter is different. He writes he wants to be a father and husband. Justin is intrigued and they begin to have meaningful conversations about teaching and politics including Peter’s aspirations to be Secretary of Education.

Before they can move to DC, they agree to meet at Friedman’s in Manhattan for their first date. Peter took the NJ Transit train two hours north and Justin took the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station. While we both were excited, we both were cautiously optimistic due to the distance.

During brunch, Peter talked in-depth about judging a National History Day tournament the previous day, and Justin talked about his years of Odyssey of the Mind coaching. Despite the cold, we continued walking on the High Line and then hanging out at Hudson Yards.

After the date, we both went our separate ways back to Long Beach and Haddonfield. Peter told his sister afterwards “I went on a brunch date in NYC with a guy from The League. He was engaging and the conversation flowed; he is definitely introverted though. I would definitely give him a 2nd date.”

Luckily for Peter, Justin felt the same way! We texted immediately after to thank each other for traveling into NYC and we FaceTimed for the first time during the week after the date. That’s when Justin knew there was an even bigger spark!

For our second date, we met in New Hope, Pennsylvania for lunch and walked along the river in the rain, speaking more openly about our future aspirations and desires for a relationship. Between our second and third date, Peter traveled to Italy with his family…his family definitely picked up on the giddiness, not realizing he was texting a cute guy back home. Luckily for Justin, Peter didn’t find an Italian to marry.

After Spring Break in Italy, Peter drove up to Long Beach (Nassau County, Long Island) since he had never visited Long Island. We enjoyed lunch at San Remo in Rockville Centre, which quickly became a favorite date night location.

For the fifth date (and when we stopped keeping track of date numbers), we spent a weekend in northern New Jersey, where we judged the New Jersey State National History Day Tournament (that’s how two nerdy teachers spend their free Saturdays). The next day, we kayaked on the Hudson River; we misunderstood the guide’s directions and floated south where the current was rough. Despite being stuck on the Hudson for a few extra hours, we both laughed uncontrollably and had a feeling this was the start of something very special. After working together and staying calm, we managed to get back to shore on the second “Miracle on the Hudson.” We treated ourselves to frozen yogurt afterwards and had difficulty saying goodbye.

Justin returned to school next Monday with colleagues and students asking why he was so sunburnt, and he said it was a teaching moment to always pack sunscreen because his Kayaking trip was longer than expected. (Deep down, all Justin could think about was his time with Peter.)

Over the next several weeks, we visited each other in New York and New Jersey. We both met each other’s families, and by early June, Peter decided to advance the relationship by moving to New York City! Oh and did we mention that we booked a summer vacation to Europe together for two weeks?!

During summer 2023, Peter successfully managed the competitive process to find a job and apartment in New York City. Even though the Summer had its stressful moments, we grew closer as we learned more about each other and saw how we could successfully navigate challenges together.

We went on our first vacation together in August 2023 to London, Paris, and the French Riviera. Justin experienced the “Myers Color-Coded Spreadsheet” and realized that Peter loves to maximize his time in each city. Peter, on the other hand, learned how to go more with the flow and enjoy lounging on the beaches in the French Riviera.

With a champagne toast and kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset, we definitely knew there was something special in our relationship!

As the new school year began, Peter lived in Rego Park and worked at a school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Justin continued living and working in Long Beach. We strived for at least one date night each week - sometimes a Broadway show in Manhattan or Peter cooking dinner at his apartment. During the weekends, we would explore Long Island, NYC, or just spend quiet time together (quiet time?! More like Peter yelling at the TV during Iowa State football games!).

Highlights of fall 2023 also included a trip to Brandeis University (Justin’s alma mater) for its 75th birthday (and during Peter’s birthday weekend too), as well as celebrating Thanksgiving with Peter’s family in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

During Winter Break, Peter took Justin to Texas for the first time. We celebrated Hanukkah with Peter’s aunts, uncle, and cousins in Dallas, followed by a road trip to Houston (Peter’s hometown) and Austin. Peter enjoyed showing Justin NASA and his childhood home in Kingwood (suburb of Houston).

In February 2024, we went on a Celiac Caribbean Cruise together. We enjoyed the Bahamas, Haiti, and Jamaica - and of course the buffets and lounging!

Both of us know that we met our forever partner; we complement each other’s authentic selves. We make each other laugh, we challenge each other, and we support each other. By March 2024, we knew we wanted to spend forever together! Our love is timeless, so we purchased identical engraved watches for our engagement at Woodloch Lodge on March 30, 2024.

In September 2024, Peter began working in the Commack school district on Long Island as its first financial literacy teacher to launch its Bloomberg Investments Lab, and Justin began his tenth year as an elementary enrichment teacher in Long Beach.

In October, Peter and Justin traveled to Puerto Rico to celebrate Peter's 30th birthday.

Our story is just beginning! We look forward to sharing a lifetime of fun adventures, laughter, learning, and growing a family! And we look forward to having you part of our story on June 8, 2025!