Jen and Jonathan met during the summer of 2005 while working at Goodspeed in East Haddam Connecticut. In December Jonathan had finished grad school at Penn State and Jen had finished out the season with Goodspeed so they embarked on a month long journey across the country visiting many friends and family members along the way.
In January with no jobs and only enough money for a deposit on an apartment and a six pack of beer they moved to Chicago. They lived in Rogers Park only a few blocks from some good friends and the Heartland Cafe and most importantly in spitting distance of the Red Line. Jen discovered that she liked cities and worked doing freelance lighting for the year. Jonathan discovered that Chicago was a tough town to crack and got his first directing gig working on The Last Five Years out in the ‘burbs. With the reviews just coming out he received an offer for his first teaching job at Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, VT and they packed up the U-haul.
Jen got a job working as a Sample Room Coordinator at Garnet Hill in nearby New Hampshire. In Vermont they discovered Trout River Brewery and a few good friends. With a lot of time on their hands they learned to make paper and Jonathan wrote a book, Get the Callback. Jonathan did not see a moose the entire time they were there. By the end of the year they were ready to leave the rural Northeast Kingdom and packed up again heading for Winchester, VA. Shortly after arriving they hit up the local animal shelter where they discovered Pedro, or maybe he discovered them.
In Winchester Jonathan was finally able to work for a real musical theatre program at Shenandoah University. Jen initially got a job working for a travel receptive where she met some great friends. They bought their first house a year later. Jen also took a new job as a 911 dispatcher. Jonathan was able to get his book published and it is currently available in paperback and hardcover. After three years Jonathan returned to the Northeast and worked summer stock at Papermill Theatre in New Hampshire. He spent the summer working on Spelling Bee. He also saw a moose for the first time. He will be returning this summer.
On St. Nicholas Day in 2009 Jonathan proposed by leaving the engagement ring in her stocking. Jen was shocked to discover that he had remembered her favorite holiday for the first time. She said maybe.
Jen and Jonathan have really enjoyed all the places they have lived and visited together. They love going up to New York to visit friends, traveling, especially taking road trips and hanging out at some of their favorite places like the Union Jack and Thai Winchester. They have known many of you for years and have met many more of you along the way and are happy to call you their friends. Jen and Jonathan are very excited to be getting married and can’t wait to spend the rest of their lives together.