Oh, if only Kona Grill did Match.com-esque commercials about bringing couples together.   Both Sam and Dani are absolutely certain that they’d be the spokespeople for these Kona Grill commercials.  Or even Kona Grill recruitment videos…  “Hey, apply at Kona.  You might find your future spouse….”.

It was early Fall in 2010 and Dani had just moved back from her summer in Los Angeles, shacking up with the wonderful Taubins.  The day she got back in town, she headed straight toward the Country Club Plaza in KCMO to get her serving job back.  Waiting to meet the managers, she stepped toward the back drink station to grab a water.  An energetic, smirky Ohio boy was standing on the other side. “Who are you?” he said. 

Sam, a wonderfully self proclaimed adventurer, had been working for Kona as a corporate trainer for about 5 years at this point.  When Dani was in LA over that summer, Sam landed in Kansas City (for the second time) and secured his job at the Plaza Kona.  He even mentioned to his good friend, “All I want is a 3 bedroom house in Brookside with a fiance...”. (He succeeded, in case you were wondering.)

The next few weeks were flirtatious, but nothing more.  The real magic, embarrassingly enough, happened on O Dowd’s rooftop a few weeks after meeting.  In the dim light of the rooftop bar, Dani saw Sam across the crowd.  AND THAT WAS IT.

Only kidding.  They shared a drink and a few silly text messages.  Later that evening, Dani’s dad Jerry came to pick her up (because she was being very responsible).  She gushed to her father about the charming guy she worked with, and Jerry (Dani’s dad) was his usual self- immediately over protective.  Jerry grabbed her phone and started sending Sam stand-offish texts.  Much to Jerry’s immediate dismay, that didn’t work so well.   (Now he loves him dearly, of course.)

Sam went off to Baltimore to do corporate training for a new Kona opening for several weeks.  The entire time, Dani and Sam got to know each other the “old fashioned” way…. By sending telegrams.  Okay not really, but close. They spend several weeks getting to know each other on the phone.  Their conversations were lengthy, discussing family, friends, music, and much more.

Over the next few years, Sam and Dani had wonderful journeys in Scottsdale, Los Angeles, and then back to Kansas City. This couple admires one another so completely.  Sometimes they just sit on the couch and stare at each other and cry.  ( Yes, seriously. Incredibly cheesy, and very ridiculously true.) They consider themselves so incredibly lucky to have found each other and to get to share their lives together in love, laughter, and the pursuit of never ending adventures.