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?

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.

01

Always reminds me to put on my seatbelt

02

Takes time to be present on dates even though she has 100 other things going on

03

She touches the back of my head in a way that makes me immediately forget everything I'm stressed about

04

She's an incredible listener

05

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

06

She would go to the ends of the earth for her family and loved ones

07

She always honors her commitments

08

She carries herself with extreme class and elegance in everything she does (how she walks, how she sits, how she speaks, etc etc)

09

She touches my arm when she laughs

10

I feel like there's nothing I can't tell her

11

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

12

She is remarkably humble

13

I love that, despite being very difficult to impress, she is super easy to please

14

She takes extremely aesthetic candid photos without saying anything

15

She can rapidly and accurately read people due to an exceptional degree of observational intelligence

16

Her friends go to her to open up about their emotional hardships, which says a lot about the kind of person she is

17

The way she looks at me.

18

She looks beautiful with or without makeup

19

She cares deeply about her health, and demonstrates that care with consistent discipline everyday

20

I have to trick, pre-empt, or fight her in order to pay for dinner when we go out

21

She knows what she wants and doesn't play games

22

She is insanely hilarious

23

She sees the beauty in everything

24

I really really loved when I asked her what she looked like in her grad outfit and she answered my question by FaceTiming me

25

She consistently texts and calls me even though she doesn't like texting or calling

26

She went to and from JFK during rush hour just to be with me one extra hour before I left New York.

27

She has a sweet spot for babies and puppies

28

Her sneeze is the cutest thing I've ever heard

29

She makes me better at everything I do, both personally and professionally

30

She is extremely easy to talk to, even for 5 hours straight

31

The way she holds on to my arm when we walk anywhere

32

She doesn't mind that I snore

33

She has an unparalleled degree of self control in all facets of her life

34

She's a beautiful singer but gets shy when she knows I'm listening

35

She never demands anything from me, she just accepts me for me

36

She told her friends and family about me even before we officially started dating

37

She is incredibly talented at so many things, but won't ever bring them up unless I randomly happen to find out myself

38

She is kind to people in the most non-transactional way. She's kind just to be kind.

39

She has so many autistic moments

40

The things that she appreciates about me most also happen to be my biggest sources of pride. We are completely aligned in our values

41

I love flirting with her no matter who's watching, and how cute she is when she's embarrassed

42

She always challenges herself. When things are too easy for her she INCREASES the difficulty.

43

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⟫

First time having extended conversation at Hy's birthday party

Asked her to lunch on LinkedIn

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

Asked her to lunch on LinkedIn

First one on one conversation at Chez Panisse

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

First one on one conversation at Chez Panisse

AngelList poker night hangout

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

AngelList poker night hangout

Poker night at my place

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

Poker night at my place

House of Prime Rib

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

House of Prime Rib

May 5, first date

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 5, first date

May 9, first kiss

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 9, first kiss

May 13, became exclusive

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 13, became exclusive

May 19, became official

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 19, became official

May 21, first day of long distance

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 21, first day of long distance

May 22 to 23, called for literally 5 hours straight

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 22 to 23, called for literally 5 hours straight

May 26, flew to NYC to see her

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 26, flew to NYC to see her

May 29, left NYC

⟪Maxwell's note here⟫

May 29, left NYC

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.

Us

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