We met online and traded messages on and off, nothing official, just sparks. Then fate stepped in, we ran into each other at an event in Las Vegas, both froze, and ran straight into a hug. Joshua already had dinner plans that night, so he asked Ruggero to tag along. He said yes without a second thought. We spent the rest of the weekend inseparable, and by the time it ended, we were already planning our future together.

In September 2025, we traveled to Italy so Ruggero could visit family, and snuck away for a couple of days to Lake Garda. On a boat in Sirmione, as the sun set and "Mamma Mia" played in the background, Ruggero reached for the ring he had secretly brought on board and proposed, with a boat full of strangers cheering us on. It was pure movie magic, and unmistakably Italian.

We'd put it toward our dream of opening an LGBTQ+ owned bed & breakfast in Italy. We want a place where same-sex couples can travel, celebrate, and simply be themselves while experiencing true "la dolce vita", without a single judgmental glance. A safe haven, built from our love story, for every couple writing theirs.