In December 2021, Kelsey finally got her act together and responded to Bo’s double Hinge message and agreed to go on a date. From the second they sat down at a cozy Brooklyn spot (fittingly) called “Public Display of Affection” and throughout their 6 hour marathon first date, they knew their yin and yang personality match, shared values, and connection was something special. Within a few weeks, they became virtually inseparable and soon dropped the big L-word on a romantic getaway to Tulum, Mexico. After a perfect 8 months together, Bo packed his bags, donned his N95, and moved to Beijing to spend a year getting his master’s at the Schwarzman Scholars program in Tsinghua University. Due to China’s strict Zero COVID policy, it wasn’t possible to meet in person until the stringent travel restrictions were lifted in January. While they missed each other dearly, their 2x per day multi-hour video calls on WeChat became the highlight of their days. Given the 12 hours time zone difference, they would call as one was waking up and the other was winding down for the evening and never missed a beat on all of life's happenings (and Schwarzman gossip). In February they met up for two weeks in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, where Bo finally convinced Kelsey to re-try Boba (spoiler: she’s now obsessed) and they survived a scooter accident (mostly) unscathed. Although it wasn't ideal being separated physically, their bond only grew deeper and it became abundantly clear to both of them that this was "it." After 10 months in China, Bo returned back to the US (on July 4th, like a true patriot!) and moved into Kelsey's Park Slope brownstone apartment with her and her street rat, Kitty Kat. They spent the late summer and fall visiting friends and family in Maine, various parts of NC, Utah and Iceland - loving every second of being reunited. Bo is making the home his little by little - but anyone who knows Kelsey knows there is still plenty of pink. Plus, they recently added a new family member - their Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, Twix - who has quickly become best friends with Kit (albeit potty training continues to test their collective patience). While spending New Years Eve, just the two of them, at the Kirkpatrick’s retro beach cottage (“The Shack”) in the Outer Banks, Bo proposed to Kelsey. After an auspicious tarot card reading and a perfectly-timed random Alexa song selection, Kelsey still swears she didn’t plant the cards and it was “celestial intervention.” With an emotional "YES!" Kelsey proceeded to cry of happiness for 16 hours straight (not an exaggeration), overwhelmed with excitement and bursting with love. That night was incredibly special and couldn’t have been more “them." Kelsey and Bo cannot freaking WAIT to celebrate their special bond with their favorite people in a place that means so much to them. Their wedding will be a celebration filled with laughter, too many happy tears, plenty of Taylor Swift songs, and their favorite Carolina comfort foods!