Written by Robert: Gaianeh and Robert matched on Hinge on May 25th, 2021 -- he made the first "move" by liking one of her photos. After four long, arduous days the two finally met in Hermosa Beach, California. Robert had given Gaianeh explicit directions where she could conveniently find free parking near the pier, and, being the gentleman that he was, he set out with a bouquet of flowers to meet her there prior to her arrival. As he was crossing the street to their meeting location, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a red Mercedes Benz careening down the road towards him. He quickly ran to the other side of a the road as the car whirred past him and completed a three-point turn just beyond him. Robert had narrowly escaped death. The car then drove a short distance away from him and found a street-side parking spot. Robert, still shaken, with trembling hands, retrieved his phone and texted Gaianeh "If you drive a red car, you crushed that U-turn" to which she immediately responded "lmfao". The two proceeded to have a lovely time out that evening at Hermosa Beach Pier and Fritto Misto, and subsequent dates ensued. Gaianeh's truth: Robert liked a photo of me surfing (read - posing with a surfboard after failing at surfing) on Tuesday May 25, 2021. We chatted for a bit as his profile was very bare so I wanted to get to know him better before meeting. We bonded over being Armenian and him being part German and me having been born in Germany. He asked me out and immediately sent a list of four options with descriptions of the type of food, ambiance, and nearby activities post-dinner. I thought he was overly eager, but keep in mind it was barely post-covid and after a year of no social life, a day at the beach sounded very appealing. He dropped a pin to where I could park, but after driving across six (or was it seven?) freeways from La Crescenta to Hermosa Beach, I learned that he was telling me to park in a school parking lot. Not wanting to have my car towed, I made a u-turn to just park on the street. As soon as I turn the engine off, I see a text telling me I "crushed it". I hop out of the car, somewhat disheveled from the hour and half drive, and see Rob in a formal outfit, with a collared shirt and sweater vest, handing me a bouquet of flowers. We walked around Hermosa Beach, had dinner, Rob fell in love, and the rest is history.

In March 2023 Robert took a few "trips to visit his family" and to go to an "Ophthalmology Conference" in Palos Verdes to scope out the perfect place to propose to Gaianeh. He grew up in Palos Verdes and as a kid he, his friends, and his parents had hiked around a beautiful cove by the beach called Abalone Cove. He took a couple days to explore the area and found the perfect place to propose to Gaianeh along the southern tip of the cove. The week before the proposal, Robert told Gaianeh that his parents had invited them out to a fancy shmancy dinner at the Terranea Resort, but he wanted to go show her some "Tide Pools" nearby before dinner that he knew from growing up in the area. He later "subtly" worked into the same conversation that she should probably consider maybe getting her nails done because, you know, they were going to a resort after for dinner, and Rob's a cool guy who thinks about stuff like that in advance. Anyway, on April 8th, 2023 Gaianeh got dressed in a super nice white dress, curled her hair, and she also got her nails done in anticipation for a nice dinner out on the town, and of course, for the "tide pools". Robert then proceeded to lead her down a steep, narrow, and dirty sandy path down to the water's edge at Abalone Cove and then escorted her across about a quarter mile of loose and bulky stones along the rock shoreline that was Abalone Cove. To Robert, this journey was an intentional metaphor for life's rocky roads traversed together, but to Gaianeh this journey was not what she exactly had envisioned for "checking out some tidepools". One broken pair of sandals later the two arrived at a picturesque view of the cove and Robert walked with Gaianeh into the shallow water, got down on one knee and proposed. The two have been the happiest "newly engageds" since! We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. See you in Los Angeles!