Dear JDate,

Our story begins in October of 2005. I had just graduated from college in California and moved back home to Chicago to begin my post-college “adult” life. I was going through a typical quarter-life crisis; looking for a job, reconnecting with high school friends, moving back home with mom and dad and learning to be single again after a long-term relationship. I did not expect to feel so alone, but I felt like I was the only person my age to ever experience such a difficult transition. After being miserable for too long, I realized I needed to get out there, have some fun and as scary as it was, date again! After a few disastrous fix-ups by well-meaning friends, I decided to take the plunge (much to my dismay and my mom’s delight) and join JDate. Little did I know that my life would be changed forever.

Shortly after I completed my JDate profile I received a message from Justin, a handsome 28-year-old resident living in Chicago. As I read his profile I grew more excited about the possibility of meeting him in person. After a week of emailing back and forth, he asked for my number and called me the very next day. We had such great conversation that we decided it was time to meet. We had our first date on October 10, 2005 at a great café in Chicago. I knew it was meant to be when he too wanted to eat breakfast for dinner along with a glass of wine. We had a great first date with endless conversation, laughs and storytelling – and as they say, the rest is history!

We had been dating for 2½ years when Justin proposed on top of Masada overlooking the Dead Sea in Israel in May 2008.

Jessie & Justin
Chicago, Illinois