Our story actually starts with a few attempts at group hangouts that didn’t quite work out. Soon after, we each found ourselves in different relationships. But around Christmas of 2021, both Amanda and I were single again. I was out with my buddy Sean in Milwaukee, messaging Amanda to see what she was up to for the weekend. She wasn’t the best at responding—her dad joked it was because she was nervous about how cute I was.

That night, Amanda invited me to come back to Waukesha to go out with her and her friends. Even though Sean and I were in Milwaukee, we figured, why not? We Ubered over to Club 400, where Amanda and her friends popped in, said hi, and left almost immediately. Sean and I felt a bit let down, but soon Amanda told me to meet up with them at another bar, Bosco’s. We headed there and finally got to hang out together.

Eventually, Amanda invited me and my friends over for karaoke and a dance party, which sounded right up our alley. We sang along to a ton of High School Musical songs—enough that Amanda started seeing me in a new light. (I’m pretty sure it was my vocals and dance moves.)

Near the end of the night, I worked up the nerve to ask for her number and a date. She said yes, and my heart was pounding for a full day afterward. I’d never felt anything like it. The only catch was that I had to wait about a month for our first date because Amanda had a string of trips lined up.

Staying in touch was surprisingly easy. We exchanged long messages, shared songs, and talked about everything under the sun. We soon realized we had so much in common—music, being near water, SpongeBob, High School Musical...the list goes on.

After a month of texting, we finally went to see Spider-Man. Both of us were nervous, and we ended the night with a slightly awkward kiss (Amanda’s fault, obviously!). About a month later, I asked Amanda if she’d go to Jamaica with me, and she said yes! That trip was a turning point: she got to meet my family, and we told each other we were in love. The rest, as they say, is history.