Evan and Katie met on a warm August evening in Brooklyn, NY in 2014. A group of internet strangers had decided to participate in a get together at a bar called Spritzenhaus. This group of online friends were all members of the Reddit chat board about the online dating site OkCupid. Many hopeful faces joined the festivities that evening seeking a love connection or just finding camaraderie as they navigated the hazards of online dating. And then there was Katie and Evan.

Evan, just starting his tour of duty in New Jersey, was excited to meet his online friends face to face and to celebrate his recent return from a foreign deployment. Katie, a long time Brooklynite, originally had no plans to go that evening but attended in hopes of making some new friends in the area. Neither sought more than just a fun evening.

Katie saw Evan first. She was drawn to his big smile and infectious energy. “Wow, he’s cute!” she thought. Inspired by a few drops of liquid courage, she walked right up to Evan and shoved her hand out to him, shouting over the noise, “Hi, who are you?”

They spent the rest of the evening sharing jokes and doing push-ups. Each time they started to drift apart within the large gathering they managed to drift back together just as quickly. When Katie had decided to start her walk back to her apartment, she gave Evan a quick hug followed by a much longer, lingering hug. He was excited that a great relationship might have begun.

But it hadn’t.

For months, Katie and Evan couldn't get back together. They continued to chat and poke fun through online forums, deepening their friendship, but no plans would stick. The distance was just too much. Evan was losing hope.

The next January, the same group of friends got together in Washington, DC. Katie already had her travel plans in place when she found out Evan was also attending. As they excitedly discussed what they would do that weekend, Katie started feeling that same giddiness that she had at their first meeting back in August.

The weekend in DC was a blur of happiness, dumb jokes, and adventure. While at this point Evan had written off anything romantic happening with Katie, she had other plans. That giddiness she felt did not go away. On their last night in DC, Katie decided to buy Evan a drink and steal his attention for a while. They danced the night away and stayed out far too late. You know when your face hurts from smiling too much? That’s how you can sum up the evening.

Katie was smitten. She really liked Evan and she wanted to get to know him even better. The following Friday, Katie invited Evan to a movie night at her apartment with her friends and roommate to watch Kevin Smith’s movie Tusk. Evan, ever the enthusiastic and adventurous man, made the trek to Brooklyn from Central New Jersey to watch a horror movie about walruses (if that’s not true love, I don’t know what is).

Suddenly the distance was nothing, and for the next four years they were rarely apart. They shared dreams and adventures, road trips and apartments, and built a life from coast to coast, dog in tow.

They’re very excited to share their all-encompassing love with their family and friends.