Our Love Story

Our love story begins like every modern romance — online. Max messaged me on OKCupid, and after much persistence on his part, we agreed to meet at Hawkwood Games in Milford (a board game cafe that sadly did not survive the pandemic). Much to my surprise, Max almost beat me in a game of Taboo. This was my first sign that I may have met my match.

Over the course of the next couple of months, Max and I went on many fun-filled adventures. We explored Portland, the Hudson Valley, NYC, and Connecticut locales. We bonded over our shared love of food, family & friends, crafting, music, reading, and sangria. Max has even grown to love musical theatre, watching TV, and making charcuterie boards almost as much as I do 😊. What I love most about Max is his eagerness to help in any given situation, his intelligence, his kindness, his trustworthiness, and his unbelievably good looks (in my very biased opinion). If you had asked me two years ago if I could imagine myself choosing to build a life with someone, I would have said, "absolutely..." Despite my extremely planned-out nature, I could never have foreseen just how full our lives would feel today.

Like every great love story, I had to do a lot of chasing. My sacrifices included watching both Hamilton and a Ben Platt concert (I grew to love both later), but I was up to the challenge. I knew early on that Jacqui was a woman well worth the work. Some of my favorite moments have been sharing our first margaritas at Mezcal, Jacqui's expression when I successfully cook dinner (no small feat), our first Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day with our families, our summer vacation to Mexico, and the triumph of finding our first home (in this ridiculous housing market) and moving in together.

Jacqui brings out the best in me — her strong and bubbly personality, her attention to detail and incredible memory (which keeps me from slipping anything past her 😅), her creative passions & sharp wit, and her hair that's beautiful even on her "off" days, all motivate me to get out of my shell and be a better man. Who would've thought that long after Hawkwood Games closed down, Jacqui and I would move on from Taboo to The Game of Life 🥂.