The Early Days
Location: Columbia Heights, DC
Listening: Elvis Costello, the Thermals, mix CDs
Watching: Veronica Mars, Arrested Development, 30 Rock
Eating: Sticky Fingers, Busboys and Poets
Courtney and Justyn met in December 2009. On their first date, they talked about music, hybrid animals, and their surprisingly similar cross-country road trips earlier that year. They even discovered they once had a near miss. In 2006, they both lived in NYC and attended the same concert in Prospect Park: Phillip Glass and the Kronos Quartet playing along to a screening of "Nosferatu". They knew it was the same concert when they both recalled a downpour that ended everything early.
Justyn liked Courtney because she seemed funny, smart, and kind. Courtney liked Justyn because he seemed smart, kind, and thought she was funny. On their second date, Courtney pretended to eat cheese while Justyn pretended it wasn’t a problem to pick up the check.
Justyn was well-liked among Courtney’s friends because he gave everyone rides, helped everyone move, and wasn’t as loud as she was. Courtney liked Justyn’s friends because they liked board games, had dogs, and weren’t lawyers.
During this time, Courtney and Justyn took their first road trip (Ashville, NC), went vegan, and started looking for better jobs. When Courtney got her dream job working with currently and formerly incarcerated women, Justyn read about mass incarceration and picked her up from work at all hours of the night. When Justyn played shows in DC, Courtney brought all her friends and stayed up well past her bedtime to hear him.
The Takoma Park Days
Location: Takoma Park, MD
Listening: Lucinda Williams, Van Morrison, "Call Me Maybe"
Watching: Friday Night Lights, Supernatural, Avatar
Eating: Mark’s Kitchen, Roscoe’s Pizza
Courtney and Justyn moved in together in July 2011. Their basement apartment consisted of two long rooms with ceilings so low they could touch them with the palms of their hands. They loved it. Courtney’s mom came and helped them paint the walls bright colors. Justyn’s mom gave them kitchenware (still in use!).
Justyn ran a marathon and put a band together. Courtney was in court constantly and loved the work she was doing. During this time, they went on another road trip (camping up the Southern coast), froze at the inauguration, and went to many, many weddings.
4th and Cats, NW
Location: Shaw/NoMA, DC
Listening: Kendrick Lamar, The Menzingers, Tegan and Sara
Watching: The Good Wife, Legend of Korra, Master Chef Junior
Eating: Beau Thai, Native Foods
In 2013, Courtney was awarded a Clinical Teaching Fellowship at Georgetown Law’s DV Clinic. In turn, our humble heroes decided to move back to DC-proper. They adopted two cats, Penny and Sadie, who filled their hearts with joy and everyone else's Facebook feeds with cat pictures. At about the same time, their friends Anna and Dan asked them to be godparents to their son, Frank. Things were looking pretty serious. They even pretended to be married to get discounted gym memberships.
During this time, they went to Courtney’s brother Jordan’s wedding, climbed Half Dome, and traveled to Jamaica. Courtney started looking for another job. She saw something in Denver that looked cool. She wasn’t sure about moving, but Justyn was really curious. They flew out to visit, loved it, and decided to take the plunge.
Before the move, Justyn hatched a madcap plan to get engaged on Earth Day. It was a close call, but his friends Anna and Josh helped him pull it off. Finally, they packed up Penny, Sadie, and all their belongings and drove from DC to Denver.
To Denver and Beyond
Location: Denver, CO
Listening: The Read, Spotify shuffle, FLO 107.1
Watching: Empire, Elementary, Fresh Off the Boat
Eating: Watercourse, Sweet Action Ice Cream
Currently living in Denver, Justyn, Courtney, and the cats are happy as clams. Before it got cold, they hiked and explored all over the Front Range. Once it got cold, they visited Wyoming, New Mexico, and Montana. They both love their jobs (Courtney in the Civil Litigation Clinic at the University of Denver Law School, Justyn at the Aurora Mental Health Center) and think that Denver is shaping up to be a pretty great location for them. They’ve had some awesome visitors and are looking forward to more of you finding the time to make it out to Colorado.