2020 brought its challenges — and the start of our story. Katie had just returned from teaching English with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica and was grieving the loss of her father, John. Diego had finished his studies at the University of Duluth and was launching his career as a software engineer. We matched on Bumble, but small coincidences made our connection feel meant to be: Katie’s sister Meg had interned with Diego at the same company, and Meg’s thumbs-up (“he’s a normal engineer”) got the conversation started. Diego grew up in central Minnesota; his dad, Javier, immigrated from Mexico after meeting his mom Joyce while she was studying there. Katie, raised in the Twin Cities, developed a deep love of Spanish and Latino culture during her time abroad. Those shared ties quickly became the foundation of our relationship, reflecting our love of family and friends, and our curiosity about the world around us.