How We Met: A LinkedIn Love Story

 It was a sunny day in April 2020. While the world was navigating lockdowns, someone was navigating LinkedIn. My better half was deep in the trenches of grad school decisions, trying to decide on what graduate school admission offer to accept. Like any modern, savvy academic, she didn’t flip a coin or consult the stars. She turned to LinkedIn to find someone—anyone—who could sell her on the merits of Kentucky.

 She typed in "University of Kentucky student" and guess whose charming face popped up? Yep, mine!  Maybe it was fate, or maybe I was just really good at optimizing my LinkedIn profile, but there I was: student ambassador, virtual tour guide, and apparently, future husband (though neither of us knew that at the time).

 She slid into my DMs, and what started as an innocent, academic conversation soon turned into a four-hour marathon chat filled with advice, laughter, and maybe a bit too much lobbying for Kentucky (what can I say? I’m persuasive). And I will tell you, this was the most meaningful conversation of our lives, because somewhere between the academic advice, the virtual campus tour, and my extremely professional charm, something clicked. It wasn’t just about PhD programs anymore. By the time we signed off, we were already dreaming of futures, or at least I was.

 Fast forward a few years, and spoiler alert: she chose Kentucky (okay, I might’ve lobbied a little hard). But more importantly, we chose each other. That simple LinkedIn message became the spark that ignited something neither of us expected - LOVE. A love that’s grown stronger with each passing day, conversation, and shared dream.

 Now, here we are, no longer just LinkedIn connections. We’re about to be "locked in" for life—ready to "network" in marriage forever! We found each other in the most unexpected way, but we’ve learned that love has a way of finding you when you’re least looking for it.

 Who knew a DM would lead to happily ever after? Looks like I’ll be giving her a lifetime tour now. 😉