James and I were introduced to each other (on Facebook) in mid 2019, via our mutual friend, Kimberly. Kim and James also met on Facebook in a group for tall people called TSS (Tall, Single and Social). Kim and I were hanging out one day when she was in Michigan for a visit, and she was on a video call with James, while we were on our way to dinner. Kim turned the phone so that James could see me and say hello; and the first thing he says to her is something along the lines of “is your friend’s hair real/fake, is that all her hair, etc.”. I can’t remember which one he said exactly; but if you know me…you know how I feel about my hair! Needless to say; Kim warned him that he was about to get cussed out…and that’s exactly what I proceeded to do! 


At any rate; James and I became friends on Facebook (after he apologized of course 🤪) and eventually met in person in Nov. 2020, during a TSS Meet & Greet in Nashville, TN. I don’t think either of us were thinking about a possible “love connection” at the time; although James later told me that Kim had been trying to play “matchmaker” with us long before I even knew it. Fast forward to mid March 2021…things were about to take a turn!!


See…I went on a weight loss journey that started in late August 2020, and by March 2021, I hit my goal and had lost 100 pounds. I posted pictures of myself from every angle, and James sent me a flirty message in response to one of them. Now James had occasionally sent me flirty messages over the course of our friendship; but for some reason…I decided to flirt back with this one. One flirty message led to another…and another…and within a week or two; James sent me his number. We began talking on the phone and FaceTiming each other on the regular and decided we needed to meet up in person to see if we “vibed” together in person as well as we did over the phone. We were already going to see each other at the end of May in Hilton Head Island for another TSS Meet & Greet; but we wanted to see how “we” were when it’s just the two of us. We made plans to meet up the last weekend in April…and I guess you could say “the rest is history”; because here we are…planning a wedding!

James and I embarked on a long distance romance that started with us exclusively dating, and becoming an official couple in October 2021. Although we lived 289 miles apart; we still managed to see each other at least every other weekend(sometimes more), take trips together, and make this long distance thing work! On May 13, 2023; while at a birthday dinner with my family and a few close friends, James proposed to me and asked me to spend forever with him. Of course I said yes; and a little over a month later, on June 19, 2023, we packed up James’ stuff, loaded up our vehicles and James made the move from being a resident of Illinois…to a resident of Michigan!