Excited and nervous, I arrived 10 minutes early with a jittery heart and beads of sweat starting to trickle down my back. I brought my 8 month-old goldendoodle Leo for emotional support and to help win her over - it worked.

The plan was simple: share a couple seltzers, enjoy a few snacks, and get to know each other during an intimate picnic in the park. When Tai walked into the park, the first thing I noticed was her smile and infectious energy. She flashed a knowing grin and exclaimed "this must be Leo!" After a comforting hug, we started walking through the park and talking about our week. I stammered my way through a story about meeting Matt D'Avella and tried my best to stay on track, but I kept getting flustered by her extraordinary beauty. The little voice in my head kept anxiously coaching me along: Say something funny, don't be weird. Nod like you're listening, can she tell I'm sweating? Gosh she's pretty. Pay attention - she's talking to you!

We ended up talking for over 4 hours. My family actually called me during the date because they were worried they hadn't heard from me in so long. With my cheeks flush, I quickly answered my phone and told my mom I was on a date with a beautiful girl and it was going well! Luckily there were no interruptions after that.

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