September 11th Love Story

By: Lisa Olen

Michael is a 26-year-old Bostonian and Lisa is a 27-year-old gal from a farm in MN. We are both the owners of FiveStarReviews.com, a national magazine. We live with our two kitties, Tachi and Cali, in Las Vegas, NV where we do everything BUT gamble (except for the occasional blackjack). We love to travel, wine and dine and spend lots of time just being together. Michael is originally from Mendon, MA and graduated from Providence College in Rhode Island. Lisa is originally from Mora, MN and graduated from Rollins College in Florida. What do we like to do? Well, be together - lots of traveling, dinners, spa trips, watching 24 and Alias religiously, bowl, Jacuzzi time, take tons of pictures and write silly love notes. We're pathetic, but we love it. We first met at the tender ages of 13 and 14 as long distance pen pals and first loves. Our mutual friend, Danny, introduced us, and after a 2-year courtship, we decided that we had become the best of friends. After seeing other people and living separate lives, we always felt that fate was going to step in and bring us back together somehow, someday. We kept each other's letters and pictures, each with the teenage heartbreak words of wondering when we'd be able to get a chance to have an adult close relationship. After a while, we both went into a slight depression, feeling as though we were lost in our 9 to 5 jobs and would never find our soul mate - I as a political assistant to a senator and Mike, a salesmen. We wanted something different, something that would keep us inspired. Then, Sept. 11th came around. After hearing our friend, who introduced us was trapped in the World Trade Center during the 911 attacks, we started talking again as we were scared to death - After a few heart wrenching days, we found out that he was okay, and we ended that day to pursue our dreams, quit our jobs and move to CA with the intent of giving our lives together the shot it never had before. Within a few days of finally living near each other after all those years, we fell in love all over again and soon after, Mike jumped on board as co-owner of our magazine, FiveStarReviews.com. What makes our story so unique is that we believe that soul mates do exist, and that our wedding date, Sept. 12th marks a "new day" of happiness to bring some sort of reasoning to what happened the day before. We mark this day as one where we can all start realizing that we can't take our loves for granted and that life is too short not to pursue your dreams. Mike and I believe the key to a healthy relationship is spending quality time together and being together because you can't live without that person, not because of convenience or settling. Our wedding started out with the grand event, and then we realized, our bohemian-esque lifestyles didn't fit that scenario. Our wedding will include an intimate gathering of family and friends of all genders, sexual orientations, nationalities and personalities. We wanted a whirlwind romance that celebrates our unique way of life, from the foods we like, the music we like, the florals we like and the "not-so-traditional" ceremony vows. As a tribute to our friend, Danny, he is walking me down the aisle, giving me away to Michael.

Our engagement took place in Lisa's dream city, NYC, right in the heart of the theatre district. After seeing Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre and going to romantic Rockefeller Center during the Christmas celebrations, a nervous and adorable Mike popped the question around midnight on bended knee in our 28th story hotel room. Lisa was all the things a girl feels when the happiest moment of her life happens

Lisa Olen
FiveStarReviews.com