Lauren and I met in June 2020 at a small gathering in Pleasant Valley, NY. It was just a typical night with some friends…joking around and having a few drinks. I definitely didn’t expect to meet my future wife. I was asking my friend to help me set up a Close Friends story on Instagram, this was a very cool thing to do at the time, he was preoccupied at the moment, so he shouted “Can anyone help Bix set up his own Close Friends story?” Lauren came to the rescue and has been helping me with everything social media ever since. After I got my story posted, I quickly scurried away because I couldn’t have such a pretty girl see me with my hair in its current state (no haircut since February 2020).

Flash forward to July 4th weekend, Lauren and I were both in a group going to Belmar, NJ. She decided to set up shop in her beach chair as far away from me as possible. She then proceeded to get an open container ticket for sipping a White Claw on the beach. It was in that moment I said “There’s my wife”. I looked past the criminal activity and proceeded to chat up Lauren. Our conversation topics consisted of, but were not limited to, banking at TEG, looking like we were 12 years old in our license photos, and of course Close Friends on Instagram. We exchanged numbers and I worked up the courage to ask her on a date a few weeks later.

Our first date was on July 31st, we went for a hike at Burger Hill on the hottest day of the year (Lauren was complaining quickly). From Burger Hill we went for ice cream at Holy Cow in Red Hook and dinner at Fosters in Rhinebeck, never running out of things to talk about for 8+ hours. Many of the things I remember from that first date are still are true to this day - she is beautiful, hilarious, and smart (even if she won’t admit the last part). The frequency of our dates went from once a week, to twice a week, to 3-4 days a week to where we are today, almost inseparable.

Spending this much time together required me to take up some new hobbies to avoid being apart. I joined multiple volleyball leagues, started running (and we trained for a half marathon together) and became a craft beer enthusiast, planning frequent trips to our favorite breweries (that one I’ll take credit for). Through these activities I admired her competitiveness, conviction and loyalty. I did have some second guesses that I was making the right decision when I met Lauren’s family and the first thing her sweet Nan said to me was “What’s wrong with you?!” I’m pretty sure she was joking…hopefully. Our relationship has evolved over our 3 years of dating. A lot more of the jokes she tells are at my expense, but as I’ve come to learn, that is how she is with all her closest friends and family. Our relationship has grown into Lauren becoming my best friend, biggest supporter, and soon to be my wife.