There are probably a few different variations of this floating around, particularly depending who you talk to. In short, we met at work. Our paths rarely crossed in the first year, and it wasn't until an incredibly random, awkward and entertaining happy hour that we had a real conversation. That proved to be just the ice breaker we needed to build a friendship. After a few group outings with other coworkers, and a 12 week leadership course, we eventually began spending more time alone. It only took 5 dinner dates to realize it was more than "just friends."