Friends for about 14 years before starting dating sounds like the premise for a great "friends to lovers" romance novel trope--I would know, I have read hundreds of them. However, we have only lived this story once. And that is pretty much exactly what happened...

Summer of 2022, we were commiserating about the trials and tribulations of life, dating, and work over a delicious margarita together. We started talking deep life topics as we were want to do upon occasion and Joe brought up the idea of us dating. I was nervous because I loved our friendship and my biggest worry was if something would come to damage that. I'd known and valued his friendship since college--I couldn't imagine what it would be without it. So we talked a lot and he had me convinced--he is sneakily persuasive like that.

Our first date we tried a restaurant (Proof, in St. Phillips Plaza) that I hadn't been to before. However, the icing on the cake was how he knew my Dairy Queen Blizzard order (and that I would love it). Fourteen years of friendship took care of the "getting to know you" stage of dating and if it hadn't, the cruise a week and a half later would have!

Since then there have been so many changes, but also so much love. Not just from each other, but from our friends and families. Loving Joe has made me better and I am so happy I could just burst.

So when he proposed in front of the Disneyland Castle, I was stunned but also once I could take a breath again, it was the easiest decision I have made to say "yes."

Stephanie has been one of my closest friends since college and had always been someone that I’ve been able to talk to about everything going on in life. Good times, not so good times, and everything in between. The subject of taking a chance on dating had come up several times over the years, but the timing was never quite right.

After the world started finally feeling back to normal in 2022, we came to the subject again over margaritas at Guadalajara. Never let anyone tell you margaritas don’t lead to good decisions.

I finally asked her if she’d like to go on a date about a week and a half ahead to the cruise that we had booked together about 7 months earlier. After Pasta and Dairy Queen, I think Stephanie was still slightly apprehensive about spending an entire week together on a boat, but we made it work!

The time between now and then has moved like lightning, but I can safely say it’s been the happiest I’ve ever felt. I feel like I’ve grown so much in the last couple years thanks to Stephanie and I can’t wait to see where the adventure takes us. The look on her face when she said “yes” in front of her favorite castle is always going to make me smile, but I look forward to continuing to surprise and delight my best friend in new, fun ways as often as I can!