On May 30th, 2021, Tim finally moved the conversation from Bumble to texting - starting with, “Julia this is Tim Byrne!”. Despite vaguely reminding her of how her father, Don, would start an introduction via email, she continued the conversation. Reluctantly ;)

The two couldn’t stop texting. Julia planned a 3-week trip to Austin to spend time with family before they could meet. Even while being apart, the communication stayed constant and their story began there.

Tim and Julia were able to bond over hobbies like hiking, puzzle making (yes, still those COVID days), music, ambitions, food, and of course, craft beer. They made playlists for each other that still inspire their music choices today. They bonded over deep discussions on what each other was looking for and knew that the first date needed to be immediate.

Finally, Julia returned and the date was scheduled: Drift In. New York was just entering summer, so the air was warm and an outside restaurant made perfect sense. They both ordered burgers (Tim was impressed), and Julia struggled her way through a (mildly) spicy margarita. Laughter was flowing, second dates were planned, and their story was just beginning.

A few weeks later, it was time for Tim to seal the deal -- time to meet the Byrne family. Two car-loads of siblings, parents, nephews, strollers and even a few diapers bombarded Julia at their favorite location in Hoboken. And, Julia killed it. Even with Meg.

A week later, Tim surprised Julia by taking her to the first date spot - Drift In. The same magical place where they met the first time, the two officially started their journey together.

Birthdays, holidays, and vacations. Date nights-out, movie nights-in. Laughs, tears, and bad singing. Dreams of growing old together. The two fell in love.

It was time to go back to Drift In.

In the pouring rain, wind and tears in her face, Julia said yes.