Throughout the course of my adult life, I’ve always had my eye on the “next thing.” While that was great in terms of advancing my career, continuing my education, and living it up in my 20s, my life didn’t really change for the better until meeting Cathy on that fateful night at Bavette’s in Chicago. Once I got past the thought that I was being stood up (because she arrived 20 minutes late…a foreshadowing of what was to become a disturbing trend), I quickly realized that Cathy was the total package: sharp as a whip, funny as hell, looks that turn heads, and a humility/kindness that somehow outweighs the rest…what else could one ask for? After just a handful of dates, and perhaps a few too many shared bottles of wine, it was apparent that not only was Cathy a great person, but she made me want to be one as well. It didn’t take long before I knew I wanted to marry her, and made it official when I asked her on a weekend trip to Kohler, Wisconsin. We’ve had what seems like a million adventures already - traveling all over, moving to St. Louis, dipping a toe back home in Florida, getting our dog Wrigley, the list goes on…but no matter what we run into going forward, I’m confident that the “next thing” will always be centered around the future of our lives together.

When I met Mark, I wasn’t expecting to fall in love. I had accepted a job in St. Louis and was starting my final year at Kellogg. But that first date felt right - Mark’s quick wit, easy laugh and big dreams drew me in. I knew this was something special and each experience after confirmed it. It started small with dates and meeting friends, but I quickly realized every situation was better with Mark. We hit the next milestone when we went international - successfully navigating Japan and my aggressive, color-coded itinerary. Then, during COVID, Mark and I officially became a quaran-team: he proposed, joined me in St. Louis, and we welcomed four paws to our family. I know this is only the beginning and couldn’t imagine doing life with anyone else!!!