Michelle & Carl met on a kickball team in Chicago in 2017. She thought Carl was short; he thought Michelle had a small chest. It all changed when Carl spilled his beer all over Michelle's lap and they partied all night. A few months later after some more games and fun, the pair started to develop feelings... but Michelle was already in the works to move to China. The two were set to break up in July of 2018... but alas... Michelle moved to China and missed Carl's silly jokes, so they kept talking, and Carl decided to visit her in October 2018. It was his first time leaving the USA! Then they became official after he decided he would move to China a year later. He started Mandarin Chinese lessons, and they did long distance for a year, but still got to see each other every 3-4 months. For Michelle's 30th, Carl took Michelle to Thailand for a lovely island vacation. Carl got a job in China doing design work and made the move in August of 2019. Michelle & Carl then lived a joyous life in China for 5 months, even going to Bali for a friend's lovely wedding! Then, as they headed to the US for a holiday visit in Jan 2020, their lives were ever changed by the COVID-19 virus hitting Beijing. The couple stayed in the USA for an extra month, traveling, seeing friends, and celebrating Carl's brother's wedding in March. Despite concerns and trusting their instincts, they returned to their lives and jobs in China, to a 2 week quarantine at home. Since they didn't kill each other in the small apartment, they decided then that they could probably do this relationship the rest of their lives. 2020 - 2021 were the best two years they could have ever asked for! Carl and Michelle traveled around, made some lifelong friendships, and achieved new career goals. After Michelle's company shut down, the couple moved to Shanghai to pursue another career move, but alas they got stuck in the Shanghai lockdowns in April 2022, and Carl spent his 33rd birthday eating government sanctioned duck that Michelle cooked in their tabletop oven. They lasted 35 days together in a slightly bigger apartment, and still no break up in sight. Michelle's job offered to take her traveling and doing events, so they sadly left China without saying proper goodbyes to any of their friends. It was tragic, but they realized it was time to go back to Chicago where Carl could develop his architecture career more fruitfully and Michelle could expand her event/conference planning skills. So, after some travels in Europe and Asia in 2022, they settled back in Chicago with some great friends and family nearby, and decided to adult. We got the apartment, steadyish jobs (in this economy, am I right?!), and they do basic American stuff every day, hoping they won't have to be here for another Republican presidency. Here they are, adulting, getting married, and they'd love you to join in our celebration of love and passion and doing the day-to-day grind together. Let's party fam!!