We continued to travel, from San Francisco, to Costa Rica, New York, and Washington DC. We have pictures together at the White House, in the National Gallery, on top of the Empire State Building, in beautiful vineyards, and on the beach of the Pacific Ocean. If you are ever in Costa Rica we have a great recommendation for a margarita.

Clara also quickly became a Minnesota sports fan, and grew to understand the pain and suffering that comes with that. She learned cribbage and even dabbled in some video games. Brandon is slowly picking up more Spanish, and now his terrible Spanish is simply bad.

On April 2nd, 2022, Clara and Brandon met at the Lake Harriet Bandshell after over a week of texting. After a short walk and a glass of wine at Tilia, we shared our first kiss. That date was the last first date that either of us ever had. Our second date was an incredible dinner at Alma, the location we eventually selected for our wedding.

We didn’t go slowly. Quickly Clara was introduced to Brandon’s family and friends. Brandon then met Nico, Clara’s son, and her family and friends on a trip to Costa Rica. Our combined love of travel, great food, and honest, authentic communication helped our love bloom quickly.

Now, as their wedding approaches, we plan for the future. We share a home in South Minneapolis, walking distance from where we first met, with Nico and our two cats, Darla and Roy.

As we prepare our vows we continue to rely on the open communication and ability to empathize with each other and support each other. As partners we have overcome challenges and celebrated incredible memories. We are thankful to our family and friends who have helped and supported us on our journey. We are happy to have many of you celebrating with us at our wedding, and for those who are not there, we can’t wait to celebrate with you later.