On this day five years ago, I lived with two roommates I found on Craigslist. I had packed my Jetta and driven cross country, alone, except for the company of my GPS just two weeks prior. I was thousands of miles from home. I had no job, no man, and practically no friends in Boulder.

I was quite the catch.

My roommates invited me out to a bar for an Anti-Valentine’s Day Party. I had nothing else going on and I was on the prowl, so I happily agreed. As we stepped out of the car, my roommate asked me, “What is your intention for the night?” I looked at her like she was nuts. She wasn’t nuts, she was just into Landmark, and creating her own future and stuff like that. I didn’t want to jinx anything, but she said that’s not how it works, you have to say your intention out loud. So I said I was looking for true love. I’d loved boyfriends in the past, but I was 29 years old and I had never actually been in love, not one single time, and I was beginning to think I was a total freak.

After having a couple of drinks at the bar, I noticed a Semitic-looking guy a few tables over and decided to talk to him. Not because I was so interested in him as a male specimen, but more because I felt compelled to find out if there were any Jews beside me in the Wild West. But once I sat down and started talking to the guy who would indeed turn out to be a fellow Hebe, I noticed his cute friend. The cute friend and I got to talking. I told him I didn’t really know anyone in town but I would soon and I love to set people up, so I needed to know his vital stats…He told me he was 31 and a self-employed software developer (so far so good). I asked him what his type was. After a thoughtful pause, he replied, “Smart, kind, loves the outdoors… and beautiful.” So I told him, “I have an idea! You should call me.”

We hung out for the rest of the night, talking and dancing (side note: he tricked me into thinking he liked dancing!). The minute I woke up the next morning I frantically called my sister because I COULD NOT WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE for Dan to get in touch. My sister reminded me it had been less than eight hours since I’d last seen him and I needed to take it easy. But at 1:10, there was a text from him, saying “Good luck.” He’d remembered I had a 1:30 job interview.

Two Februarys later, we closed on our house. And two Februarys after that, we became a family.