We first met on Friday evening, May 12, 2017. We were both out for an early dinner and drinks with friends. when we noticed each other from across the room. After exchanging a few glances, Charlie finally walked over to introduce himself. What started as a simple hello quickly turned into hours of effortless conversation. We spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing, and from that very first night, it felt like something special had begun.

Just a month late in June 15, 2017 we were celebrating Charlie's birthday together - the moment captured in the photo here. Looking back now, that night was only the beginning of a story that would grow into a lifetime together.

Nikki and I got engaged on September 7th, 2023. We were vacationing and looking for properties in Daytona Beach the week of Labor Day. I proposed to her on the rooftop of our hotel with the ocean in the background. This also started our quest to find a place on the beach for our retirement days. We looked up and down the East and West coasts of Florida for the next two years where we landed on the Tampa/Clearwater area. We will be renting a beachfront condo in the Sand Key/Clearwater area later this year as we dip our toes into retirement and see what it’s like to move from Ohio and live on the beaches of Florida.