You know I have a terrible memory, but you're the last thing I'd ever want to forget. So I built us a backup. Every place we've crossed paths, every reason I fell for you, all of it saved here as the context I refuse to lose. If I ever forget the rest of the world, someone can hand this to an LLM and it will know exactly how to bring me home to you. Happy birthday my love. Of everything worth remembering, you're the part I'd rebuild from scratch. You deserve the world and more.
Who is Risa?

A bit about her:
Risa turns 22 today (6/6/26).
Risa likes light pink orchids and peonies, random hand kisses, King the Land, and singing along to Iggy Azalea.
Risa doesn't like crème brûlée, raw beef, or anything that moves slow in general.
At first glance, many might think her most noticeable quality is her intelligence, but if you're lucky enough to hear her laugh, you'll never forget her smile.
What I love about Risa
The first 43 that come to mind, in no particular order.
Always reminds me to put on my seatbelt
Takes time to be present on dates even though she has 100 other things going on
She touches the back of my head in a way that makes me immediately forget everything I'm stressed about
She's an incredible listener
Every time I am looking for something, even if it's just for a second, she immediately notices, asks what I'm looking for, and starts helping me
She would go to the ends of the earth for her family and loved ones
She always honors her commitments
She carries herself with extreme class and elegance in everything she does (how she walks, how she sits, how she speaks, etc etc)
She touches my arm when she laughs
I feel like there's nothing I can't tell her
She actually finds startups, M&A, and venture to be interesting topics of discussion, and she always has something to teach me that I didn't know
She is remarkably humble
I love that, despite being very difficult to impress, she is super easy to please
She takes extremely aesthetic candid photos without saying anything
She can rapidly and accurately read people due to an exceptional degree of observational intelligence
Her friends go to her to open up about their emotional hardships, which says a lot about the kind of person she is
The way she looks at me.
She looks beautiful with or without makeup
She cares deeply about her health, and demonstrates that care with consistent discipline everyday
I have to trick, pre-empt, or fight her in order to pay for dinner when we go out
She knows what she wants and doesn't play games
She is insanely hilarious
She sees the beauty in everything
I really really loved when I asked her what she looked like in her grad outfit and she answered my question by FaceTiming me
She consistently texts and calls me even though she doesn't like texting or calling
She went to and from JFK during rush hour just to be with me one extra hour before I left New York.
She has a sweet spot for babies and puppies
Her sneeze is the cutest thing I've ever heard
She makes me better at everything I do, both personally and professionally
She is extremely easy to talk to, even for 5 hours straight
The way she holds on to my arm when we walk anywhere
She doesn't mind that I snore
She has an unparalleled degree of self control in all facets of her life
She's a beautiful singer but gets shy when she knows I'm listening
She never demands anything from me, she just accepts me for me
She told her friends and family about me even before we officially started dating
She is incredibly talented at so many things, but won't ever bring them up unless I randomly happen to find out myself
She is kind to people in the most non-transactional way. She's kind just to be kind.
She has so many autistic moments
The things that she appreciates about me most also happen to be my biggest sources of pride. We are completely aligned in our values
I love flirting with her no matter who's watching, and how cute she is when she's embarrassed
She always challenges herself. When things are too easy for her she INCREASES the difficulty.
I love that she calls me her baby in front of people
Where we've crossed paths
When it happened
First time having extended conversation at Hy's birthday party
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

Asked her to lunch on LinkedIn
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

First one on one conversation at Chez Panisse
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

AngelList poker night hangout
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

Poker night at my place
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

House of Prime Rib
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 5, first date
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 9, first kiss
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 13, became exclusive
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 19, became official
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 21, first day of long distance
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 22 to 23, called for literally 5 hours straight
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 26, flew to NYC to see her
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 29, left NYC
⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

Next.
Take our first trip outside of the U.S.
Risa to visit San Jose
Maxwell to meet Jun and take him out for steak without Risa
Why I want to spend the rest of my life with you
Although there are many things I love about Risa, love is not a list of checkboxes.
Risa is the woman I want my children to look and act like, and she makes me want to be the best man I can be for her, and for our family one day.

Bonus








