10 Years in the Making

As we danced the night away at last year's Gala After Party for Chapman Partnership, I turned to Sergio, my husband and said "I love the life we've built." It was the most whole-hearted statement that showed happiness of the past and present moment.

This post is all about celebrating the man that helps turn my dreams into reality. 10 years ago today, I literally fell (I actually fell on the floor) for the man I'm married to today. We went on a blind date after being connected by a mutual friend to Gameworks, an arcade and food joint. I remember feeling nervous and excited, and thought if all else fails we can have fun playing games. Needless to say, we connected immediately and have been together since then.

The last 10 years have been filled by so many moments of happiness and personal achievements. While I may have little to no experience in dating, I thought it'd be nice to share what I feel about dating and finding your better half: Choose a business partner. Love should be one of the many reasons why you are together, but it should not be the sole reason. When looking for a partner or deciding if you should marry that person, ask yourself, would I enter into a business with this person? Is he/she trustworthy? Are our goals aligned? Can I depend on this person to carry the fort? Is this person hard working? Is this person responsible? Does this person bring me more problems or more solutions? Does this person have good intentions? If you feel confident about those answers, then you found yourself a great catch. I think if we thought about marriage the way people think about business decisions, we would be more careful. Sergio to me is more than just my lover, he is my partner in this crazy thing called life.

Distinguish between a dreamer and a doer. A dreamer is always telling you what he wants to do, but never quite does it (always let's excuses come in the way). A doer tells and shows you what he or she will do. This will be important when things get tough in a relationship, the dreamer may be too busy making excuses to help improve your situation, while the does is more proactive. Be willing to forgive and forget. Obviously this statement is not about everything in a relationship. Here, I'm referring to the traditional bickering and items that only get you temporarily upset, move on because dwelling in them and bringing them up over and over again only aggravate the situation. Do not lose your individuality. Our priest, Fr. Damian Flanagan during our wedding said something that I truly believe in. He said, "people come together for marriage as one, not that you will lose your individuality, no, that you will come together as a couple with your individuality."

Enjoy the journey. Celebrate all the ups and downs. Have fun and allow yourself to love and be loved.

Hope these tips can help you in your quest for love. We are definitely not perfect, and we never know what life has in store for us, but in the meantime we will continue to enjoy the journey! Here's our wedding trailer for your viewing pleasure!

Love always,

Jenni