In late 2018, Catherine and Shu-Jon decided to dabble in the world of online dating. Both were skeptical…until they matched with each other! As they traded emails over the next several weeks, they discovered they both loved to travel, watch musicals & shows, and enjoy delicious food & desserts. They finally met in person over brunch in January 2019; the brunch date extended into an all-afternoon coffee date, filled with lively conversation. That first date led to multiple follow up dates and quickly blossomed into a loving partnership as they both treasured the effortlessness and joyfulness of time spent together.

With their shared passion for traveling, Catherine and Shu-Jon began to explore the world together. Their first international trip was to Japan to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. During 2019, they traveled together to Brazil, Peru, England, Mexico, and Cuba.

When the pandemic hit, they decided to shelter in place together which led to an inward focus, a deeper understanding of each other, and confirmation that they have both found their life partners.

The pandemic also reminded them that life is short and unpredictable, and so they decided to turn into reality their shared dream of taking extended time off to travel. In the Spring of 2022, Catherine and Shu-Jon left their jobs to embark on what would become 14 months of traveling to 21 countries – it was a truly incredible and memorable experience, and they both feel very fortunate to have been able to take this time off. Together, they saw giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, & iguanas and swam with sea lions in the Galapagos; hiked the beautiful green Scotland hills; soaked up the history & admired the ancient ruins of Italy & Greece; ate at night markets in South Korea & Taiwan; and admired the cherry blossoms in Japan & the tulips in the Netherlands.

And the most memorable part…Catherine and Shu-Jon got engaged during their last leg of their trip in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a beautiful medieval hilltop village on the French Riviera. Shu-Jon proposed to Catherine at sunset, atop the walls surrounding the village & overlooking the valley below…and she said yes! It was the perfect end to their year of travel.

Catherine and Shu-Jon are now back in the Bay Area. With the end of one journey, they look forward to beginning their next journey of spending a lifetime together!

On October 4th, Catherine and Shu-Jon will be getting married in a small ceremony with immediate family in Santa Barbara which was their getaway during the pandemic. They can't wait to celebrate two weeks later with family and friends at a reception on October 19th in Los Altos and hope you will be able to attend!