Our story began like many other modern millennial love stories--through the dating app Hinge. We exchanged our favorite meme pages and quickly discovered we worked at the same hospital.

We had our first date at Madison Bear Garden aka the "Bear" in Chico, California. Maddy was running late (per usual), parked her car, and frantically ran through 2 blocks of pouring rain, using her jacket as a shield above her head. Very perturbed to be soaking wet, she burst through the double doors of the Bear to find Thomas standing on the landing. He had arrived early (per usual) and had been anxiously waiting for Maddy.

After that night, we took our time getting to know each other and explored some of our favorite places in Chico, such as the Winchester Goose and various hiking trails in Upper Bidwell Park. One night, Maddy's parents were in town, so she took them to a popular sushi restaurant downtown called the Raw Bar. They ate fistfuls of pungent garlic edamame, joking that at least they didn't have to interact with anyone else that night. Well, Thomas had texted Maddy that if she needed a ride home after drinking with her parents, he'd be happy to pick her up. Guess whose first kiss tasted like garlic edamame and red wine? Poor Thomas must have really liked Maddy because that first kiss wasn't the most aromatically pleasant experience.

Over the next two years, we became partners in adventure, travel, and cat rescuing. From getting food poisoning in New Orleans on our first domestic trip together to getting food poisoning on our first international trip to Scotland (both from oysters!), we've been inseparable ever since. We cannot wait to embark on our greatest adventure yet--getting married in Cancun with our family!