A Little Romance Tale…
Every day in every way I choose this guy
Four Years. One Year. A Lifetime to Go. ❤️
Four years ago, I was done.
Done with Facebook Dating.
Done with the endless train wrecks.
Done spending what little energy I had on first dates that went nowhere.
Many of you probably remember the stories. 😂 They made for great entertainment online, but behind the scenes I was exhausted. I was already living with chronic fatigue, pouring everything I had into my patients during the day, and using whatever scraps of energy remained to meet people who simply weren't my person.
I remember looking at my phone and thinking...
"One more date. Then I'm deleting my profile."
Around that same time, a guy named Gio had sent me a message.
I stalled.
Not because I wasn't interested, but because I already had another date scheduled, and I wasn't going to juggle two men at once.
So I went on what turned out to be the infamous yoga and sushi disaster. 🤦🏼♀️
The moment that date walked out the door, I opened Facebook Dating and messaged Gio.
Only to discover...
...he had literally just left town for Indiana.
So instead of meeting...
We talked.
And talked.
And talked.
Our very first conversation lasted over four hours.
Every conversation after that seemed even longer.
Somewhere during those ten days, something incredible happened.
I realized...
I already knew him.
I had never experienced anything like it.
Before we had ever met face-to-face, I knew this man was different.
Then came August 8, 2022.
He wanted to keep it simple and meet for coffee.
I insisted on sushi.
(Obviously. 😂)
It became the best...
last first date...
...I will ever have.
I drove back to Green Bay the next morning to see patients, convinced I had just met the man I had been waiting my whole life for.
And then life happened.
Just two days later, Gio learned he needed surgery.
I drove back to help him find a surgeon.
Somewhere in the middle of all of that...
I never really left.
We've been together ever since.
❤️
In four short years...
We've traveled to places he had only dreamed about.
His very first trip outside the United States was with my mom and me to Easter Island and the Galápagos Islands.
We've celebrated on tropical beaches.
We've laughed until our sides hurt.
We've cried.
We've built dreams that once seemed impossible.
We had a beautiful spiritual wedding in Mexico because, after the pain of his previous marriage, legal marriage simply wasn't something he was ready for.
A year ago, we chose to make it official.
Not because a piece of paper changed anything...
But because our commitment deserved to be celebrated in every way.
Together we've moved to Green Bay.
Built The Lyday Center from the ground up.
He's become an EMT.
Then an Advanced EMT.
He's stood beside me through crazy ideas that somehow turned into reality.
He has carried equipment.
Painted walls.
Learned medicine.
Held my hand after surgeries.
Celebrated miracles with our patients.
Comforted me through losses.
And somehow still makes me laugh every single day.
People often ask me how I do everything I do.
The truth is...
I don't do it alone.
I have someone who believes in me even when I'm exhausted.
Someone who quietly makes my dreams possible.
Someone who reminds me to rest when I forget.
Someone who loves me exactly as I am.
After several broken engagements, I honestly wondered if marriage simply wasn't meant for me.
It turns out...
I wasn't waiting for marriage.
I was waiting for him.
To the man who walked into my life just as I was about to give up...
Thank you.
For believing in me.
For building this beautiful life beside me.
For showing me what unconditional love actually looks like.
For proving that the best love stories don't always begin when you're looking...
Sometimes they begin the moment you're ready to quit.
Happy four years together.
Happy one year officially married.
And here's to every adventure still waiting for us.
No matter where life takes us...
There is absolutely no place I'd rather be than by your side. ❤️✈️🌎💍