We met in April 2018 on Bumble. I had a puppy, Brady, who was almost a year old, and with that, her fate was sealed. During our first date, I invited her to Bonnaroo – a 4 day music festival in Manchester, TN, and for some reason, she said yes.

In the intervening months, we bonded over Taco Bell, and I introduced her to Kewpie mayo. I felt like I understood her immediately – during that first week of texting, I called her a “Fancy Dork,” and, to this day, I’m not sure I could think of a better descriptor of her personality. I was smitten, and while she played it cool, I think she was falling for me as well – although the jury is still out on that one.

After Bonnaroo, she hadn’t yet run away screaming, so we did the long-distance dating thing. I would visit her in New York, and she would visit Brady – I mean me – in Nashville. She introduced me to new foods and experiences, and we laughed about the silliest things.

Eventually, she moved to Nashville “for work” – at the time, she was adamant that her move had nothing to do with me, and it was just a good job opportunity, but I have since learned that I may have been a factor in that decision. Living near one another only deepened our connection, and while I had to learn a lot about keeping a tidy living space, I have never doubted for a second that this is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I look forward to spending every day forever with my Fancy Dork.

I love Brady.