The times they are a-changing. Using dating apps to meet the love of your life has become the norm. They’re so ubiquitous, they’re practically obsolete. Now all the young people are meeting their mates on alternative social media platforms, sliding into DMs, and so forth. The story of Josiah Miller and Natalie Otano is one of modern love, birthed on TikTok.
Miller has a fairly large following, and one of his goofiest TikToks about dropping a fry into his car seat ended up being seen by Otano, who has never heard of him until she saw it, Buzzfeed reports.
She ended up looking for him on Instagram and following him after seeing he was pretty cute in addition to being funny:
@itsjosiahmillerThe amount of random objects I’ve lost down there is absurd ##fry ##lost ##OwnTheCurve ##food ##desifood♬ original sound – biblegrrl
She told Buzzfeed, “I went to Josiah’s page and thought he was super handsome and funny and decided to start following him on Instagram. He immediately followed me back.”
Then they did the millennials mating ritual of liking each other’s pics until Josiah finally responded to one of Otano’s story. From there, their relationship built: the only problem was that Otano was in Los Angeles and Miller was in Miami, and we all are in a pandemic.
They didn’t let that stop them from developing something.
“I think COVID actually helped our relationship because we were able to talk and learn about each other before we met in person,” Josiah said.
They ended up talking on FaceTime for hours a day until they decided it was time to meet. The plan was for Miller to fly to LA, then drive back to Miami with Otano, where her family also resides.
Miller said, “I knew there was a chance that it wouldn’t be the same IRL, but I thought it was definitely worth the risk and we would have a great story to tell either way.”
When it did work out, they started sharing the story on TikTok in several parts. The romance became a hit on the platform:
@itsjosiahmillerI’ll keep ya posted!! 😬 ##single ##datingstorytime ##relationshipgoals ##relationships ##dating♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod
Miller explained, “I didn’t know that I was going to share the story on TikTok, but, after we met, our connection was the same as when we FaceTimed, and I thought it was just going to get better.” May as well document it, right?
@itsjosiahmillerPART 2 ##datingstorytime ##relationshipgoals ##relationships ##dating ##single @natalieotano♬ Buttercup – MixAndMash
And if this all sounds like a creepy mistake, they did have some boundaries in place to screen who Miller was, like his connecting with Otano’s family.
“Josiah called my parents, without me knowing, right before the trip to put them at ease and let them know that he was going to take care of me, and honor and respect me,” Otano said. “The plan was to stay a few nights with my sister in LA before we headed out. She said if she got any creeper vibes from him, she was not going to let me go. He passed the test, obviously!”
@itsjosiahmillerPART 3! We made it out of TEXAS!@natalieotano ##hiddengems ##datingstorytime ##relationshipgoals ##dating ##relationship ##roadtrip ##relationships ##single♬ Say So (Instrumental Version) [Originally Performed by Doja Cat] – Elliot Van Coup
They do kind of blow over how they dealt with the whole traveling and COVID thing, but Otano says the car trip was pretty fun.
“We’re both pretty adventurous, spontaneous, and easygoing, so traveling together was a blast. We enjoyed one another’s company, even after being in a car together for over 10 hours a day. I learned that he is an absolute gentleman and very generous,” she said.
@itsjosiahmillerPART 4! Exploring Miami! (With masks and social distancing) ##tiktoklovestory @natalieotano ##datingstorytime ##dating ##parents ##relationship ##roadtrip♬ Up Beat (Married Life) – Kenyi
And they eventually met each other’s families and both felt super comfortable with them.
@itsjosiahmillerPART 5!! (Sorry it took so long) ##tiktoklovestory ##datingstorytime ##relationship ##thebachelor ##dating @natalieotano♬ Intentions (Instrumental Version) [Originally Performed by Justin Bieber & Quavo] – Elliot Van Coup
“When we pulled up to Natalie’s parents’ house, they were lined up in the street with masks, funny hats, and signs. Right away, I thought they were fun people. I had the best time with her family. They are just so fun and always up for adventures, and we laugh a lot together,” said Miller.
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“I felt like I already knew Josiah’s family because of all the stories he had shared with me. He’s one of seven kids — and a few are married — so it was a lot of people to meet, but they immediately made me feel so loved and welcome! I had an amazing weekend with them,” said Otano.
The two are clearly enjoying their alternative courtship, and have been continually posting TikToks together for people to follow along. They also want to encourage folks not to just give up on love because we can’t make out in bars like we used to.
@itsjosiahmillerHers actually looks like it could be her @natalieotano ##duet with @gardinerbrothers ##tiktoklovestory ##datingstorytime ##couple ##dating ##couple♬ Life is a highwayyy – akasommarbot
“I know that during these times, it’s easy to stay with someone or continue dating someone just because you’re bored or lonely, but just wait for the right person,” said Otano. “Don’t be with someone who makes you insecure and is constantly making you guess about how they feel about you! In the meantime, just focus on bettering yourself and when the time is right, that person will come. It’s worth the wait.”
Okay. See you all when there’s a vaccine. Or in your DMs…
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