Our Story
When asked how we met we always say, “we dated in high school, took a little break, and seven years later found our way back.”
Here is the long love story of two people that are meant to be together.
Paul and Katie first met at a Dublin Scioto High School lacrosse game in 2007. Katie was a sophomore and responsible for recording stats during games. Paul was a freshman asked to help with stats due to a season ending injury. When Paul approached the stats table for training, Katie gave him a disapproving look and stated, “I do not need any help. Just watch the game.” Paul shrugged his shoulders and went back to the team bench. Neither even bothered to ask the other’s name. Little did they know what was to come.
Several years later, in 2010, Katie went to a Scioto hockey game with one of her friends. Paul was playing in that game, and this friend happened to know him. After the game she invited him to join her and Katie at McDonald’s. Paul thought this was a casual post game meal, but Katie had other intentions. At some point during the meal, Katie said to Paul, “I don’t think I have your number.” Paul quickly replied, “No, I don’t think you do,” and continued to eat his burger. Needless to say, Katie eventually got his number. Within a few weeks the two started dating.
Dating for Katie and Paul meant meals together at some of their favorite spots, ice skating, mini golf, hiking, Blue Jackets games, and long walks to Mardi Gras for the best ice cream in Columbus. The two shared a love of cooking together from the start, and could often be found making a Greek lentil soup called fakés. They went to several dances together, including a Prom that was hosted at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Below is a collection of some of their favorite high school memories.
Soon came summer’s end, and that meant school would soon begin. Katie was heading to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for her first year of college. Paul was preparing for his senior year at Scioto while interning at Buckeye Interactive. They decided it was best to part ways.
During the next several years the two pursued different paths. Katie finished her undergraduate degree, then completed her Master’s at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Soon after graduation she moved to Heredia, Costa Rica, to teach English. Meanwhile, Paul went to The Ohio State University and studied Computer Science and Engineering. He spent a summer working at Facebook in Seattle, Washington. After graduation, he decided to stay in Columbus rather than return to the west coast and work at Facebook. He continued to work at Buckeye Interactive, a software engineering startup, and is currently the VP of Engineering and part owner. In August of 2017, Paul was fortunate to travel to Greece and see the mountain village of Stemnitsa where his Yiayia (Grandmother) is from.
In October of 2017, while Katie was living in Costa Rica, she decided to make some fakés (lentil soup). She was reminded of the many times her and Paul had made this meal together. Even though it had been years since they had last talked to each other, she decided to send a picture of the soup to Paul and see what he thought. This is the picture she sent to him:
Paul was pleasantly surprised to hear from Katie, and thought the soup looked delicious. When he found out she would be back in Columbus in a few weeks for winter break, he made plans to see her. The two went on their “first” date, a Blue Jackets hockey game, on December 20th, 2017. The Blue Jackets beat the Maple Leafs 4-2. The rest of winter break consisted of more dates together: bourbon tours, hiking adventures, and ringing in the new year.
After just a few short weeks it became time for Katie to return to Costa Rica. As the day of her departure approached, an all too familiar feeling came upon our happy couple. Seven years had passed since the two decided to part ways the first time. During that time apart they explored the world, learned about themselves, and grew as individuals. Now they could understand what really matters in life, as best described by St. Paul in I Corinthians 13:11-13:
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.“
With this in mind, the two decided to stay together. Katie returned to Costa Rica to finish out the semester of teaching. The semester would end in a few months, and then she planned to go back to Columbus. Paul went back to work, and the two prepared for the realities of being apart. One week later, Paul received a phone call from Katie. She had packed up her belongings and was getting on a plane to Columbus. She decided she needed to be home.
Paul and Katie continued dating for the next year and a half. Between running half marathons, hiking, camping, cooking, and the occasional bourbon tasting, they could rarely be found apart.
On June 15th, 2019, Paul proposed to Katie at Rocky Fork Metro Park in Westerville, Ohio. The day started off with a hike through John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs. This was followed by a delicious ramen lunch at one of their favorite spots, Meshikou. After lunch, Paul told Katie “Now we’re going to go on an adventure to forever.” Katie was confused, but Paul had a plan. They set off for the first spot of their adventure, the McDonald’s they met at, because every adventure starts with coffee. After coffee, Paul said he had to get something from his parent’s house. When they arrived he asked Katie “Where did we always walk to from here?” She knew right away where they were going. In the pouring down rain, they walked to Mardi Gras and got their favorite ice cream. Continuing their trip down memory lane, the next stop was Dublin Scioto High School. From there, they went to the place where Katie’s senior prom was hosted, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. In the parking lot of the church, Paul handed Katie an envelope. Inside were the original tickets and pictures from the prom they attended nearly ten years prior. To end their tour of special places they visited Thompson Park and Fields which had been the starting point of many runs together.
Paul then told Katie that they needed to get ready for a very special, secret, dinner reservation. On the way to dinner, Katie kept her eyes closed until they reached their destination. When she opened her eyes she saw they were at an empty park. Paul lead her down the path through the pavilion to a spot overlooking the meadow. He then gave her a single yellow rose and proposed. Several of their friends were hidden in the woods to capture this special moment, and a video can be found on the homepage of this site. They all went to meet up with their parents, who had put together a celebration complete with champange, and of course, fakés. To this day, the joke is “She said FAH-KES!”
