The Beginning
How We Met
In the age of dating apps, Garrett and Joanna are very relieved they do not have to
tell their children they met online.
They met on October 19, 2024, at a pub crawl hosted by a local singles group.
Joanna's first impression of Garrett was, "Wow… that is the most aggressively
normal white guy I have ever seen. Definitely a finance bro from Austin."
She could not have been more wrong.
Somehow, out of everyone there, they were the last two still talking by the end of
the night. Joanna kissed him on the cheek before leaving - which, in hindsight,
was either bold or deeply confusing, considering neither of them was actually
looking for a relationship at the time.
Instead of going on dates, they just kept accidentally finding each other at every
singles event afterward. A few weeks later, they ended up at a speed dating event
together. After fifteen men rotated through her table in rapid succession, each
one a fresh wave of small talk and nerves, Garrett was the only one where the
anxiety just stopped. She could breathe. She could be herself. They stayed talking
on the patio for hours afterward.
Then came the scavenger hunt on November 30th — the night of their first kiss.
Ironically, their first actual date did not happen until December 11th, almost two
full months after they met. They celebrated the end of finals week at a wine bar,
and somewhere between all the events, long conversations, and complete lack of
urgency, they realized something important: they kept choosing each other anyway.
