Like many modern day couples, we met on a dating app (Bumble). After messaging briefly on the app, we went on our first date. We met for drinks, but stayed for dinner because the date was going so well. We talked for hours about our shared love of traveling the world, ice hockey, dogs, and so much more. We also discovered that we grew up 30 minutes from each other in North Texas!!!!!

After our first date, we dated for six weeks before Joe moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina for six months. Once he left, we continued getting to know each other via text and FaceTime, and we met up every four to six weeks somewhere around the world. Our first trip was to Costa Rica. It was an amazing trip — except for Shannon getting eaten alive by bugs! After months of long distance, Joe moved back to Seattle and moved in with Shannon and Shannon's tiny and adorable dog, Gidget.

Our story is uniquely us. And as the saying goes, when you know, you know!