On an early 2012 winter morning in New York, I went to the tiny neighborhood climbing gym for a quick session, hoping to have the gym to myself before it got too crowded. To my disappointment, someone strolled to the front desk not long after. Animated conversation and laughter punctuated the silence. Into the back room walked in a guy, dressed casually in a fitted shirt, well-tailored pants, and those weird five finger shoes. We said a quick hello and I thought that was that...

Until he became an ambassador for the Vibram Five Finger Shoes. "Have you tried these? They're AMAZING. Here, do you want to try mine on?". As he climbed up the wall with these 'shoes' he sang its benefits because it worked your individual toe muscles (lol). I didn't know what to think of this guy. It was clear that he was not like any others I had met...and at this point I had crossed paths with the spectrum of NYC creatives: actors, models, musicians, dancers, and office professionals: audit, finance, consulting.

Over the years we "secretly" dated on and off - an emotional rollercoaster, a drug we could not or would not quit. The timing just never seemed to work out, other priorities taking precedence. Good friends either sacrificed animals (metaphorically - no need to call PETA) to bring us together, or wanted to throttle some sense of healthier boundaries into us.

In 2020 while the world paused, we decided to give it one last go. Perhaps it was because the pandemic denied us of distractions or maybe our lives (and maturity?) finally aligned. After much work we found ourselves thriving after overcoming hurdles and difficult conversations.

Thomas reminds me everyday to be unapologetically myself, and our days are filled with silliness and belly aching laughs. He loves fiercely and is unwaveringly loyal. He is my rock, my heart. The only thing left to figure out is that he poisons me with methane on a daily basis. So if anyone has a solution for that...I will owe you forever.

As most of you know, our story began in NYC where out paths crossed in an unexpected way.

At the gym we would exchange a few stories about the weather, work and life in general. Chat about the climbs and Sandy’s work travels. Over time we started meeting intentionally, at the gym or otherwise.

As our relationship grew, things started getting complicated. There were many challenges; we never seemed to be in the same mental, physical or emotional space at the same time. Our goals and ambitions didn’t seem to align and our adventurous spirit kept us apart.

Over time we began to change as individuals through; heart-to-heart conversations, self reflection and the constant nagging from our friends (Ginni, Lauren we are looking at you two. But especially Ginni). In 2020 we decided to explore a more serious commitment to each other and figure out how to navigate it given our past. Easily enough our relationship evolved into a steadfast partnership and while it was a challenging journey, it was also transformative and the complications from our past began to fade.

Fast forward to today and here we are. Thanks to a chance encounter at a tiny Manhattan climbing gym and the community around us the course of our lives were changed. We look back on this with gratitude, knowing that the complicated path is the testament to our perseverance, forgiveness and supporting each other in achieving our individual goals together.