In September of 2016, I matched with Meredith on Hinge and decided to have a quick first date before my intramural soccer game. I came dressed in casual athletic clothing to a Lincoln Park staple, Ranallis, to meet the woman who would later become my wife.

It was a Monday, which meant Ranallis had the Bachelor on. Ironic. We drank half-priced wine and discovered mutual friends and shared interests in sports, travel, and food.

The date went well—well enough for a second one, at least. So, a few weeks later, I took her to our local pub, Glascotts, for a few evening drinks. I'm not going to sit here and take you through every date, but as you can guess, this date went well, too.

As the years went by, we added amazing memories to our life portfolio, taking many trips to different states and even traveling to Spain, Ireland, and Scotland together. We saw Cubs games and concerts. At an Ed Sheeran concert, I learned not to scream the lyrics into her ears. Sorry, Meredith, but I was having fun, okay?

We decided to move in together in 2021. That's when the true test of fate began. If I can live with her, I can marry her.

On August 12, 2023, I decided to dupe her into thinking we were getting dinner with her friends at Mon Ami Gabi, a French steakhouse. I put so much effort into this smokescreen that I even took a fake nap. She had no idea what was coming.

When the time came, we headed out to meet up with her friends to play a quick mini-golf round by the Diversey driving range before dinner. As we got out of the Uber, I told her maybe the dumbest lie of my life, "Hey, my buddy told me a boat crashed over here in the harbor yesterday. We should check it out." I could tell her suspicions were rising.

As I led her closer to the water, I found a great open spot overlooking the city. I got on one knee and blacked out. I can't tell you anything I said during that proposal. I had gone over this for weeks, and it was all thrown out the window. We're pretty sure she never said yes, so this whole thing might be a sham, but she took the ring as we embraced and popped champagne right by the harbor. There is video proof.

Later that night, family and friends joined us to celebrate where it all started, Ranallis. It was a full circle—one big, lovey-dovey, adventurous, enigmatic, but perfect full circle.