There’s certainly no market where we can shop for partners, but somehow, we find them in the oddest of places and circumstances. From churches, bars, house parties, and more recently on dating apps, people have met the love of their lives everywhere. So while this story is not so surprising, all of the circumstances behind it comes together beautifully and puts a smile on our faces. The beautiful couple emphasizes the saying that love can be found anywhere and at any place, even where we aren’t looking.
The novel COVID-19 has placed diverse countries on total lockdown mode. As responsible adults, Tori Cignarella and Jeremy Cohen both sat at home in adherence to the directives in place.
Bored out of her mind, 28-year-old Tori Cignarella headed to the roof of her Bushwick apartment building, and started dancing to the High School Musical song ‘We’re All In This Together’ to an unknown audience.
Enter Jeremy Cohen, a freelance photographer who shoots for musical festivals. Like Cignarella, Cohen had been keeping to himself since the beginning of the week, but decided to start on a photography project of photographing people hanging atop their buildings to keep himself busy.
“I’ve been working on a photo series where I document people on their roofs because, during this time, a lot of people are going up to their roofs way more frequently than they have before,” he said. [1]
Love in a time of Corona
But one woman caught his attention, and he found himself attracted to her after he saw her dancing on the roof. Cohen claims he was attracted to her energy and made the first move by saying ‘hi.’
Cignarella replied, and soon after, Cohen flew a drone from his balcony that had attached his phone number. Shortly after sending over the drone with his cell phone number attached, he received a text message from his mystery woman, Tori Cignarella.
While the drone flew a little too far initially, Cignarella was eventually able to get Cohen’s number after taking the device down. As soon as she got her phone charged up, she texted back, making sure to ask him if he flew the drone safely home.
A few text messages after, all were set for their first virtual date. With the help of Cignarella’s roommate, a table was set for Tori at her rooftop, with Cohen setting one for himself on his roof as well. Together, they set up a video call and chatted away while eating, despite the physical limitations.
“The date was going so well, and depending on how long this quarantine lasts, I might be in a long-distance relationship with someone who lives across the street from me. I excused myself to the bathroom. Of course, I didn’t have to go, I just wanted to tell my group chat how well this was going,” said Cohen. [2]
Unsurprisingly, the video has garnered a staggering 36 million views across all social media platforms, and users who are now avid followers of this couple’s story can’t get enough.
One date at a time
After the first day went on so well, Jeremy knew that he had to see Tori, but there was a dilemma: They needed to do that while practicing social distancing. Ever the romantic guy, Jermey came up with a genius idea: He was going to be in an inflatable bubble while Tori was going to wear gloves. Satisfied with his plan, he set to work, but he was sure to keep it a secret from Tori.
On the set date, the surprised Tori, who helps manage a co-working space in the city, was all smiles as soon as she saw Jeremy in the inflated bubble. Together, they both took a walk down the streets of Brooklyn, all the while talking to each other. Writing about their bubble date, Cohen added that “just because we have to socially distance doesn’t mean we have to be socially distant.”
“I don’t think I would have been capable of doing any of this without my mom.”
Speaking on the power of grand gestures, Cohen credits his mum for teaching him and enabling him to maintain an optimistic outlook on life, regardless of whatever situation he is confronted with.
“I don’t think I would have been capable of doing any of this without my mom, Eva Grayzel, who taught me the power of storytelling. She’s a motivational speaker, storyteller, and stage 4 cancer survivor. Without her, I don’t think I would have my optimistic outlook on life to do things like this in times like this.” [3]
“I’ve gained a friend.”
While they are both optimistic of a future together, both Tori and Jeremy, who think they are mutually cool, have stated that they will remain friends if their relationship doesn’t work out.
“Whether anything romantic pursues out of this or not, at the very least, I’ve gained a friend,” said Tori. “Especially because he lives just across the street: I’m really excited to have a nearby friend I can hang out with, once this quarantine is hopefully lifted, very soon.” [4]
References
- “A Message on a Drone, a TikTok, and a Socially Distant Date: Here’s the Story Behind a Viral Meet-Cute.” Times. Raisa Bruner. Accessed March 30, 2020.
- “This man successfully asked out his neighbor via drone during quarantine: ‘I was just attracted to her energy.’” Insider. Rachel E. Greenspan. Accessed March 30, 2020.
- “Brooklyn guy uses drone to hit on a gal during coronavirus lockdown.” New York Post. Kirsten Fleming. Accessed March 30, 2020.
- “A Guy From Brooklyn Sees A Girl Dancing On A Roof, Sends Her A Drone With His Number On It.” Bored Panda. Hidrėlėy and Aelita Senvaitytė. Accessed March 30, 2020.