Daniel:

Weddings are an excellent place to meet people, as Whitney and I can attest. Two years ago Whitney was (unofficially) managing the bridal party for her childhood friend Rebecca, preparing for a small wedding with just a few friends and family; I was driving over from Chicago to attend my college friend’s wedding in June of 2020. Whitney will forever give me grief for not remembering our first meeting, so I will let her tell it.

Whitney:

I remember sitting down for the ceremony with my parents to my right and empty seats to my left. A lanky dude in a suit, surgical mask, and Converses with peace signs sat close by - clearly there alone. (Not going to lie, my single self was intrigued.) We casually struck up a conversation and come to find out that both of us grew up overseas. For me, that just led to further interest and intrigue. During the reception, I noticed that this guy was extremely friendly, welcoming to anyone in proximity, and LOVED to dance. Somehow I ended up being thrown into a group dance with him as my partner briefly. I didn't know at all what I was doing, but he was still really nice. At the end of the event, I also noticed how eager and willing he was to help with clean up for the event. By the time, I was asked if this guy could crash on the couch where I was staying (as will be explained further below) I thought he was pretty cool (and kinda cute). The rest of the evening and next morning simply confirmed it.

Daniel:

After the wedding, I was catching up with my college friends after many years and asked if I could crash on the couch at their Airbnb farmhouse to avoid a late-night drive. That night two friends, Whitney, and I stayed up late talking and I was struck by the immense kindness, generosity, and light of this person who had danced into my life.

Let me add a bit of context: Whitney had just emergency evacuated from Kosovo as the pandemic ramped up, ending early the capstone project for her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy. I could tell that she was deeply troubled by having to leave relationships in flux and tasks unfinished, and could easily have dominated the conversation with her stories and experiences. Yet she graciously cared for those of us around her, setting aside her personal crisis; I knew this was someone I wanted to keep in my life.

The next morning I gathered the courage to ask for her number before parting ways. We kept in touch for the next couple of months, texting often and leaving long audio messages as we discussed theology, nerdy passions, and life goals. She shut me down pretty early on, but I played it cool and kept hoping she’d come around. Whitney likes to joke that our relationship is backward in that we met in person first and fell in love online afterward -because on December 10th, 2020, we met for the second time and decided to make a go of it.

Q + A

What if Covid is getting bad in Chicago in November?