To think, it was 365 days today, we had our first drink, our first dinner, our first kiss, and our first (soft) red. Well it was my first kiss, not sure you were kissing back… When you first walked in, you approached with this bubbly, and magnetic aura. I was captivated as soon as I laid eggs on you. I remember thinking to myself, okay Michael this girl is actually the real deal, don't fuck it up. However, it wasn't long before I learned of your pre-date pizza, beliefs held that I should consider a form of hair loss treatment, and that you were not afraid of pinching at my fat rolls. It started to dawn on me… maybe I'm fucking this up after all. But turned out, you've got a thing for balding men pushing 40 after all. We covered a lot of ground that night. I learned of your love for eating, our shared taste in philosophy & esoteric wisdom, and that we both had a drinking problem. Not going to lie, when I noticed how much food you could put away I was pretty sure right there and then you were the one for me. We did not know it at the time, but that night set into motion themes that would define us for the year to come. We still both love to eat far too much, we can't go more than a week without a drink, and I am still a terrible driver.

Baby, when I look back and think about everything we have been through, I realise that even in the hard times, they are that much harder because of how much you truly mean to me. Because no matter how wrong I get it, my frustrations always derive from the fear of hurting the one I love. It is an uncomfortable truth that because of our love, it has the propensity to bring about some of our worst pain. But that is why I always believed in our capacity to heal one another. We allow each other to access these feelings, and it is my belief that the only way out is through. Therefore, it is through our pain, through our past, and through our hearts that offer our path to salvation. You offer me the keys to access mine, and I hope I can be (if not already) the keys to access yours. It is the beautiful side effect of finding someone I feel is my equal, someone I am proud to be with, someone who has my respect and my adoration. It is in your ambition, in your work ethic, in your capacity for feeling and understanding, in your wisdom, and in your nurturing heart that I see someone that I would be lost to be without.

Baby, it is no secret that I am pushing forty… I was beginning to think my time had run out to find someone to truly love, and care for. I thought I'd make the most of my time left and then call it quits, and maybe hang on the ceiling a lil… But then I met this girl on Hinge, who saw me for who I am, not just a filmographer, but a real person. I feel truly blessed to have met you, to have you in my life, to have your love, and to be celebrating one whole year together.

Hun, I love you so much and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world … not even a little cucky. I'm sorry if I don't always show it, or you aren't always sure how I feel. But you captivate me each day with your outlook on life, your tireless work ethic, your natural beauty, your big sense of humour, your even bigger tillys, and your giant brain. You are truly one in a million and you truly inspire me to be a better man (except when I am bitching about Chaimy).

You give all of yourself to everything that you do. I always say this but regardless, it is not enough that you are severely over capped at work, giving it your all in a thankless position, but then you come home and find the strength to make me my chia pudding even when we both know I'm basically a lost cause, and my bowels are shutting down before our very eyes. Yet you do it anyway. Because that's who you are. A giver, who gives from the heart, or someone who likes cucky a bit tooo much maybe. One or the other. But truthfully, you are always willing to give a helping hand. From setting up 98inch TVs in the middle of the night, to lending me your car, or cleaning my house even though I offered to help (at the end).

Thank you for existing, and for being my best friend, my lover, and my life partner. There is no one else on this earth I want to spend my evenings with, to chilly chat after and during work, to sit next to on the couch (formally known as the bouch, RIP). No one I want to laugh with more, talk about making cuckies with, make popcorn and foolies and all the norlies with more… My drastic weight gain is a testament to these truths. Hun, it feels like we have been through so much for our first year together. But that is what this is, our humble first steps. Yes we have fumbled here and there, but what do you expect from two retards learning to walk for the very first time. And just like the toddlers that we are, it will take a bit of time for us to mature and build out the muscles we need to keep each other upright, balanced and able to walk in a straight line. We are only one years old!! You can't expect a baby to have all of its shit together, so why expect anymore from ourselves. We both know you and I share a single brain cell and a baby has at least three of those! So let's crawl, skip, and tumble until one day we finally stand tall. I am committed to that task until we both are hand in hand, striding effortlessly towards our deaths.

Boobie, I can't wait to see what the future brings, and though no one knows what life has in store, we can be pretty sure there will be plenty more roach trips to Mount Buller — which are really just excuses for me to get Victoria's number one chicken burger, Bubble Cups — where I get the dirty and chai and you get some other shit that nobody wants, Belles Hot Chicken — the place where you get a burger with your meal just to keep you busy while you make the commute back home, business class adventures where the majority of our weight gain occurs before we've even arrived at our destination, beers and Elden Ring after a hard day's work — I will get back into it again as soon as I get over the panic attack from my face off with Godrick the Grafted — I prongise!, plenty of anime, and thousands of hours spent watching Why Files. Baby I could not ask for a better partner, you make me so happy to be your boyfriend. I wake up each morning excited for the day and to get back in bed with you each night. Thank you for sticking it out with me these past 365 days. I Love you 5eva.