How we met
Jill & Kelly’s journey began over 4 years ago.
During a time where human contact was limited, Jill & Kelly, like most millennials, turned to online dating. Kelly could never forget falling in love with the video of Jill dancing to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion in Sara’s empty new home. Jill swooned over Kelly’s photo of him in costume, dressed head to toe in leather. After a quick exchange of compliments and bad pickup lines, like any other interaction during covid, they turned to popular workplace meeting application; Zoom.
With a glass of wine in hand, and plans made with friends for later that evening, they dialed into a video call with the intent of a quick first introduction. One glass quickly turned into three, far exceeding Zoom’s free tier video call limit. Somehow five hours had passed.
COVID turned out to not be the only thing keeping them apart, as a winter storm veered its head onto Austin less than 48 hours later. Jill, safe and warm with friends in her home full of power. Kelly, drinking lukewarm soup after losing power for those same 48 hours. Not a minute passed where they stopped thinking about each other.
Not more than a second after the storm cleared, did they plan for their first meeting. With a car full of vegan cheese and meats, Kelly quickly found himself in Jill’s backyard. Listening to favorites from Leon Bridges and Fred Again. Consuming enough cheese to incapacitate someone who is lactose and tolerant for a week. (Note: Kelly is lactose and tolerant.) An hour, once again, turned into 6. Quiet conversation quickly turned into noise complaints from music heard while they danced in the living room.
Sharing stories best reserved for their diaries; there was no place they would rather be.
so their story continued…
And no different than their first meeting, one week turned into 4, one month turned into 6. As the time grew longer, the distance grew shorter. Kelly moved in across the street, and practically lived at Jill’s house shortly thereafter.
Conversations of lives they previously lived, turned into ones they were living.
Dreams of travel destinations converted into trips to Miami, New York City, Chicago and Las Vegas. Their shared favorite episodes of Chef’s Table quickly became meals they shared together. Stories of incredible friendship’s that brought them joy, became shared friendships.
As time sped by, they were met with a fork in the road. Kelly, having to relocate to New York City for work, and Jill living in her first home. It didn’t take long until they knew they needed to be reunited.
So after a long road trip, they found themselves in their first home together, in Brooklyn.
Contemplating weeknight dinner choices, defining dog walking contracts, rediscovering old friendships and creating new ones. Celebrating seasonal changes in Vermont, spending Thanksgivings on a farm in Missouri, building gingerbread houses for Christmas in Connecticut. They built a beautiful life together — and all while running a (free) illegal bed & breakfast out of their apartment.
And they knew from the day they met. So why’d it take four years? Unfortunately, Zoom didn’t (and still doesn’t) have a 💍 emoji.
Time has continued to pass, but they knew from the beginning. They were the one for each other.
