It was a brisk autumn evening. After coming off the heels of two awful dates with seemingly nice women, my expectations for my date with Hannah were low. But I said, "Hey, who knows? Maybe this girl will be different."

As I sat there patiently waiting, trying to act as cool as possible, Hannah showed up, and I immediately spotted her. The sun glistened behind her as she walked towards me, dressed in all black in true New York fashion. She seemed like she was in a hurry, either to meet me or to get the hell out of there.

One of the first things I noticed about Hannah was that she was Asian. That was very interesting, as I hadn't seriously dated an Asian girl before. Knowing my tendencies, I thought some of my comments could be off-putting to her. However, as our relationship developed, it became clear it was very difficult for me to be off-putting to Hannah.

We had a wonderful date at a restaurant called Calexico. We drank margaritas, and I that's when I learned that Hannah was a cheap date, though she insisted on buying her own drinks. It was during COVID, so we were outside and keeping our distance from everybody else. Hannah didn't want to go inside to use the bathroom. My half-witted brain then came up with the brilliant idea of letting her use my bathroom at my cockroach infested airbnb a few blocks away. She came over, and we stayed up all evening having what was for me, a conversation full of inquisitive topic but for Hannah, one of the most uncomfortable first dates of her life. However, me being the prying type, I insisted she tell me about every relationship she's ever had with every person and family member she ever met/had. She wasn't super happy, but if I'm not mistaken, a bond was indeed forming.

Fast forward, and Hannah and I built a relationship based on Hannah's endless pursuit of giving me diabetes and my need for preventing Hannah from getting more than 4 hours of sleep a night (I still worked west coast hours at the time). We weren't supposed to be anything serious. I was supposed to move back to the West Coast, and Hannah had a lot of obligations on the East Coast. We were simply two ships passing in the night... Well, sometimes when two ships pass in the night, one gets caught in the other one's wake.

After a few months of very casual dating and consistently declaring that we weren't serious and this wasn't going anywhere, I proposed the idea that she move across the country with me to LA and we move in together. As you can imagine, Hannah was 100% on board (kinda, sorta, not really). Unfortunately for her, I am a master manipulator and I coerced her into actually going through with it and making the move. We went on a three-week road trip across the country from New York all the way to LA, hitting some wonderful spots and having a fantastic time, except for the part where Hannah spontaneously got A root canal somewhere in Arkansas. Damn Teeth.

Near the end of our road trip, I told Hannah if we were still together in two years, I would propose. There's even video proof of that moment to prove how much of a true romantic I am. We made it out to LA, and you could say that we fought a lot. I could say that too because it's true, we did. However, due to blind ignorance and overconfidence, we decided we were going to make this work and see through our problems. Because regardless of how much we "disagree" (like in the notebook right?), the good days are always worth it.

Growing and being with Hannah these past four years has been nothing short of magical, chaotic, absolutely unbearable, and the most wonderful thing I've ever experienced. She is my best friend and the person I want to share every day with. So much so that I said, "F*** it. I should probably marry this girl." The one thing about Hannah that she does for me that nobody else can is make me softer than anyone. So I wanted to give Hannah the most romantic life I could, and with that, it meant I needed to marry her.

One thing you should know about Hannah is she was never a big fan of her birthday, and that didn't sit well with me because I love birthdays, and I didn't like that she didn't like hers. So I was determined to change that. On a trip back to the East Coast, I decided to recreate our second date. That second date was at the MoMA museum in New York City, and then we went to a nice Greek restaurant. Well, in 2023, on November 6th, I decided to take Hannah on a wonderful day out for her birthday. What a perfect excuse to get her dressed up and fancy. So, planning out the whole thing, we had an absolutely wonderful day going to the restaurant we went to after MoMA on our second date. I acted like I had no idea we'd been there before, and Hannah just thought I was an idiot. Then we walked around New York City, went to the top of the Rockefeller Center, somewhere she had never been before, and finally ended it with a private tour of the MoMA.

I don't know if you guys know anything about private tours at the MoMA, but I'm pretty sure everyone thought we were very, very famous because absolutely no one does a private tour of just 2 people. Due to my persistence and insistence, I was able to rent out the entire top floor of the MoMA and propose in front of Monet's Water Lilies. You can see that photo on the photos page on this website at the bottom. It was just me, Hannah, a photographer, and about 50 security guards because they took one look at me and, let's be honest, I'm not a very trustworthy-looking guy. It was amazing. Hannah loved it, and I couldn't have been happier. We ended the night with a private room dinner at Ocean Prime down the street with all of our friends and family. Another surprise she didn't know about.

Hannah and my story isn't necessarily something that was very unique. We met during COVID on a dating app like probably a million other people, all of whose weddings I'm sure you guys are going to this year and nexts. What makes Hannah and my story unique is that you couldn't find more opposite people to come together at a more inopportune time and make something work that absolutely no one should have made work. The only reason that happened... Well, frankly, I couldn't tell you why, but I can just say how thankful and lucky I am that it did.

Writing this story about how Tyler and I met is arguably the hardest story I’ve ever had to write. Tyler and I connected when he moved to Brooklyn during the pandemic, and after two weeks of fun and easy conversations, we decided to meet at cute little taco joint called Calexico. That day, I was rushing to finish my work, to get to our date on time. I changed into a new outfit, my heart racing with anticipation. I already knew he was funny, kind, and a fellow gamer, but I wasn't sure what to expect in person.

When we finally met, the day was warmer than I had anticipated, and I wore a leather jacket over a bulky sweater. I remember Tyler was in this faded black hoodie, and despite all my layers, I felt a chill. When I mentioned it, he immediately offered me his hoodie, a gesture that warmed my heart and remains in my memory vividly to this day. We spent the evening sharing stories and getting to know each other, his genuine nature made me feel safe and cherished from the very start.

As we continued to see each other, we embarked on countless adventures, even with the pandemic's restrictions. Tyler introduced me to rock climbing and escape rooms, encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone. His unwavering support and patience helped me grow, and meeting his wonderful family early on made me realize where his kindness and warmth came from.

When Tyler's stay in New York was coming to an end, the thought of long-distance was unbearable. I needed a change, and it felt like the perfect time to embark on a new journey together. So, we road-tripped across the country to LA. Spending every moment together was initially intimidating, but it turned into an unforgettable adventure. We explored states I never thought I would visit, creating beautiful memories and laughing at places that weren't quite as advertised. We learned so much about each other during this trip and it felt like I was able to be a free-spirit with childlike awe once more.

In LA, I found a new career path and grew closer to my family, while Tyler continued his passion for the creative field in gaming. We carried on with the activities we loved in New York, like rock climbing, walking, enjoying good food, cooking together, and solving escape rooms. Tyler also took me on breathtaking hikes, and despite the challenges, reaching the top together was always worth it.

One memory that truly is a testament to his character is when Tyler taught me how to rollerblade. He patiently guided me through my struggles with braking and sometimes even acted as a literal cushion for my falls. Throughout my time in LA, I was able to find more of my true self and my confidence in my abilities as a partner, an HR professional, and friend grew exponentially due to Tyler’s constant encouragement. He saw the best in me, reminding me of my capabilities even when I doubted myself.

Our love feels like a first love, intense and profound. Despite life's stresses, Tyler's embrace always melts my worries away, assuring me that everything will be okay. Over the 3 1/2 years we've been together, his reassurance that we'll "figure it out" has been my anchor, even though I'm someone who always needs a plan. We've shared so many milestones, from reuniting with family to celebrating Tyler's 30th birthday.

Summarizing our relationship is challenging because we continue to grow together every day. Each memory and photo fills me with joy, and being with Tyler makes me feel like I'm seeing the world in vibrant color for the first time. We still have many adventures ahead, but as long as we travel them together, I know they'll be extraordinary.