It all started at Monkey's Uncle Karaoke Night. I met up with some coworkers for what had become somewhat of a Saturday tradition (anyone who knows me knows karaoke is my jam- first name Kerry, middle name okee). My friends Hannah and Nick McHale showed up to Monkey's Uncle with their friend Jason. As Jason made his rounds introducing himself to the table, he reached out to shake my hand and said, "Hi I'm Jason." Somehow, my teeniest, tiniest, oldest braincell went into overdrive and I responded, "is your last name Tiemeier?" Jason and I grew up going to Saint Paul's Catholic School at the beach together, and later on Fletcher High School, but given he was 3 years older than me, we of course never spoke, I just recognized the name. He said yes, which immediately started a back and forth that would continue throughout the rest of the night, only stopping so I could perform "Proud Mary" (Tina Turner version) on stage. When I came off stage, out of breath and sweaty from the gratuitous hair flips and kicks, and Jason was STILL wanting to talk to me? I knew this was something special. Inconveniently enough, Jason was moving to New York that week. Maybe the unluckiest thing ever, meeting my one in a gazillion right before he moves 1000 miles away. Then, a beacon of hope. "Jasonpatricktiemeier followed you on Instagram." Jason came home for Christmas and we spent every single day together. All of 9 days later, Jason asked me to "do this thing," and I've never been so sure of something. We spent our first year dating long distance, with me visiting New York and him visiting Jacksonville once a month, before meeting in the middle and moving to Atlanta to start our new life together. Going all in on someone after knowing them for 9 days was the greatest chance I ever took, and every day I'm thankful for Monkey's Uncle Karaoke Night for bringing me my one in a million (and the best fried mushrooms money can buy).

I think the story of how I met my future wife is about as perfect(ly fitting) as can be. Kerry is an at-times beautifully bashful individual; not when it comes to dive bar karaoke. Still beautiful, just hold the bashful. I’d like to consider myself a dive bar fan but would rather get blood drawn than sing karaoke. A match made in Heaven. Karaoke aside, from the actual moment I made eye contact with Kerry I truly knew that my life would be different forever - in the best way. But this was my kind of luck: in less than seven days I was taking a one way flight to New York City to start a new job, and had no return in sight. I thought about her every single day until I built up the courage to text her. How could I not? She was my perfect match. I knew it the instant I met her, and I know she always will be. From over a year of long distance dating - back and forth between Florida and New York - to starting a new chapter in Atlanta over two years ago - I owe it all to a divey karaoke bar (and to Nick and Hannah McHale for the introduction) in our home town. That’s the day when my luck changed. That’s the day I met my wife.