We found each other on a Monday afternoon - March 1, 2021 - to be exact. 
After a year of COVID-19 lockdowns, remote work, and social isolation, both Courtney and Luke resentfully downloaded & found themselves on the dating app Hinge, an online platform that displays potential matches using a location/proximity algorithm (up to ~100 miles). It should be noted that Courtney was in Pittsburgh, PA and Luke landed in San Diego, CA several days prior on a one-way ticket. The universe found a way to connect the two and bypassed the 2,500 mile gap and Silicon Valley software engineers.   
On that March day, Courtney and Luke “swiped right” on each other and began their love story. Less than 5 minutes later, they began learning about the numerous orbiting experiences they had in each other’s lives. For example, they both went to Sewickley Academy together, one of Luke’s closest friends vacationed with Courtney’s family each year, and a mutual friend invited Courtney to Luke’s house several times for bonfires during high school. The list goes on and on of how close Courtney and Luke were to each other, literally walking the same hallways, yet they never met. 
Courtney and Luke quickly took the conversation offline, exchanging pictures of the California sunset and Courtney’s best 4-legged friend, Winnie. They proceeded to talk on the phone for at least 6 hours a day for the next two weeks. At this point, the two had a deep connection without ever meeting in person (Luke let slip an “I love you” after their 2nd call that ended at 3 a.m.) and when Courtney picked him up at the airport at 5 a.m. on March 15, 2021, the two became inseparable. 
                 
 
Luke moved to Wisconsin a few months later for work and Courtney would routinely visit. Even though the remote town of Wausau was mundane, dark, and very cold during winter, they created their own enchanted adventures. From weekend trips kayaking on Lake Superior to exploring new cities around the Mid-West, life was better together. 
The following summer, they met Courtney’s siblings in Rome then escaped to Tuscany where they discovered Castello di Potentino. Jokingly, they agreed it would be surreal to get married at the castle. 
In 2023, Courtney and Luke enjoyed many more adventures together. They got engaged in Annecy, France during a walk by the lake, under the shade of a pine tree (a close relative of the eastern hemlock found in Cook Forest) on April 26, 2023. 
Their love and excitement to spend forever together continues to grow as they start a new chapter in Houston, TX. Courtney and Luke cannot wait to celebrate their future as a married couple with close family and friends at their wedding on August 31, 2024.