We met through a singles app-- Hinge. Our lives forever changed by way of a Wednesday evening phone call. This is pretty funny, considering neither one of us much likes the telephone. A few minutes in, we realized the extent of our common interests, including a love for travel, animals/dogs, being outside in all seasons, all-the-things Pacific Northwest, and more. Before we knew it, we'd been chatting for several hours, and we probably would have gone longer were it not for Bec dropping by Susan's apartment.

Two nights later, we met for dinner at the BluWater Bistro, in Leschi-- down the hill from Susan's apartment. Matt will never forget watching Susan walk into focus on a dark, rainy night under the street lamps. That smile! And that warm hug we shared. These memories still feel fresh, as each day since has continued to deliver on the promise of what could be.

The wait staff at the restaurant was perceptive enough to give us plenty of space. We took a long walk after dinner and settled into a park bench to talk, for several hours, in the cold, misting rain. Now, really, how much more Pacific Northwest can our story get!?

From that point on, we were inseparable. Susan's soulmate, Bear (the dog), connected with Matt. Matt's cat, Lucy, insisted on non-stop petting on Susan's lap. The pets were fully on board.

Later that weekend, we enjoyed wine tasting in Woodinville, WA. And a few weeks later, we took our first out of state trip-- a spur-of-the-moment visit to the Oregon Coast.

It's been a whirlwind ever since. We flew to Chicago to experience great restaurants over a three-day weekend, Central Oregon for Matt's birthday, New York to meet up with Matt's brother, Mark, North Carolina multiple times for adventures with Susan's family, Las Vegas for shows and foodie adventures, Mexico for an all-inclusive get-away in the cold, gray Seattle winter. We took a sea plane for a weekend get-away to Victoria, BC. And more. Lots, lots more.

We bought our dream house in late 2023. Every day seems like a treat, here.