It all began in the Spring of 2021 when Anthony and Anastasia started working on a project together at work. While Anastasia lived in Massachusetts, Anthony was in New Jersey, so all work meetings were via zoom. After the project was completed, Anthony went up to Boston on a trip with friends. He had mentioned this to one of his co-workers from Massachusetts, Melinda, who was friends with Anastasia and they all decided to hang out the first night.

Unaware to Anthony, Anastasia already had a crush on him and had told Melinda who played the role of matchmaker! They would all windup meeting at a bar called The Flight Club.

“I still remember the moment she walked in. She had this big, beautiful smile and these incredible blue eyes. She was wearing a pink dress and white sneakers, and was jusstttt the perfect height. I was taken away the moment I saw her.”

After the group made their way to another bar, Anthony and Anastasia kept talking, drinking, flirting, and laughing in their own corner of the world. The sparks were there, and the drinks only helped. While concerned about what could happen next since they were co-workers, Melinda encouraged them both to just go for it!

The next day, Anastasia met Anthony at a bar in Boston called Bell in Hand. They quickly left the busy bar to wander around Boston the rest of the night on their own. They walked around the Boston Public Garden and Back Bay area where they spent hours talking.

After that night, Anthony and Anastasia continued to talk until Anthony invited her down to New Jersey for a weekend.

That was the start of a one-year long-distance relationship. Anastasia and Anthony continued to travel back and forth stealing away whatever weekends they could to be together. They would fly, drive, take the train—whatever they could until Anastasia decided to relocate to New Jersey.

While living together, Anthony & Anastasia continued to travel all over - from sunny San Diego to the beautiful Poconos and different places in between, like Indy to see the Colts! They went to concerts to see bands you never heard of, play soundtracks from their lives and stopped at every arcade they ever passed by on the way to somewhere. They went on dates to movies and stand-up shows, go-karting and parks. Everything they did, it was always the happiest Anthony had ever been.

After a year of living together Anthony proposed to Anastasia at the Public Garden in Boston where they had their first date.