Tinder couple meet on Good Morning America after 3 years of messaging

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For those of you who thought Tinder was only for men eager to send pics of their nether regions to unsuspecting women, here’s a story that may make you change your tune, if only for a moment.

Kent State University students Josh Avsec, a 22-year-old zoology major, and Michelle Arendas, 21, who is studying Public Communication, matched up on the dating app Tinder in September of 2014. They communicated quite sporadically, with months between messages. Each time they got back in touch, one would offer up a lame excuse for not reaching out for so long. (My personal favorite was Michelle’s “President’s Day had me swamped recently, you know how it gets!” Yeah, Arbor Day is a bitch for me, so I can identify.)

Earlier this month, Josh tweeted screenshots of their lengthy online courtship and the exchange went viral. Along with the post, Josh joked “Hahahaha one day I’m going to meet this girl and it’s going to be epic.” And it sure was.

Not only was the internet buzzing about the exchange, Michelle became aware of it after being tagged in the tweet’s thread. Josh told PEOPLE Magazine that once he learned of this, “I was like a deer in the headlights, because I didn’t expect that.” Tinder also took notice and sent Josh a tweet offering to send them on a first date in the city of their choice. Josh chose Maui. He’s no dummy.

Josh and Michelle had their first face-to-face meeting on Tuesday’s Good Morning America. They were interviewed “Dating Game style” behind a partition by hosts Lara Spencer and Michael Strahan before finally meeting in person. We learned that Michelle’s karaoke jam is “Summer of ’69,” while Josh prefers the smooth sounds of JohnLegend’s “All of Me.” They do both enjoy potato chips and popcorn (he: movie theater butter, her: kettle) and both love The Office. Sounds promising.

When the two finally locked eyes, you could tell that there was definitely some attraction there. They are such cute kids and they do make a good-looking couple. After meeting, Josh said, “This is a dream come true. I can’t believe I’m seeing her right now.” When asked what her parents thought of the unconventional courtship, Michelle responded, “I hope they’re thinking good things. It’s just been a crazy adventure so far. I know it took me by surprise and it definitely took them by surprise as well.” Josh noted that his sister met her fiancé on Tinder, after which Michelle joke “No pressure.” The GMA segment is definitely worth a watch, especially if you are a hopeless romantic at heart like yours truly.

As for their epic “first date” in Maui, the pair told PEOPLE that while they don’t have an official date, they’re hoping to get away sometime within the next month. Michelle told the magazine that “I will definitely say that I’m excited, but I might be more nervous about the whole gravity of the trip. We’ve been talking and we’ve really started to get to know each other, so I’m not that nervous, I’m just really anticipating it.” Josh shared the (slightly guarded) enthusiasm, saying of the trip, “I am so unbelievably excited, I’m like the energizer bunny!”

I love this story and I hope Josh and Michelle have a blast in Hawaii. I met my current beau on Tinder, so if there’s hope for me, there’s definitely hope for these two.

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Tinder couple Credit: Courtesy Michelle Arendas and Josh Avsec.

Photos: Good Morning America, Josh Avsec, Michelle Arendas

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33 Responses to “Tinder couple meet on Good Morning America after 3 years of messaging”

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  1. Lindy79 says:

    Am I being overly cynical here but, if you’re keen, you’re meeting them, and it wont take 3 years.

    Having said that, its nice to hear a Tinder story that doesnt end with a woman getting called a whore or c**t for daring to not be into a guy

    • fubar says:

      I think this is something you had to watch rather than read. What happened between these two was extremely funny, clever and endearing. Maybe something is lost in writing but it wasn’t two people who were sort of, kind of emailing each other for three years.

    • Runcmc says:

      Yeah I watched a clip on Reddit and their body language uh…doesn’t match. He seems way more into her and she didn’t seem that interested. Best of luck to them though.

    • Alex says:

      Thank you!! My only experience with men on dating apps not only Tinder have been aweful. Men and their entitlement and their uncontrollable fear of rejection that makes them being the opposite of vulnerable. They are nasty, name callers, to terrifying. Actually, a few weeks ago suddenly I openned my mind to date women..and instead of being startled by my odd thought of what is going on within me. I thought only a woman could truly and really appreciate me, as much as I would I appreciate her. I am a catch!!
      My words of awakening, now have been etched on the internet.

  2. Enough Already says:

    I wouldn’t call this a courtship because for those three years they didn’t seem all that anxious to meet. It seems that going viral sort of pushed them together and they were like wth why not? I think they’ll enjoy the trip however.

  3. astrid says:

    Yup, I’ve got better things to do for 3 years than chat with someone I haven’t met in hopes of a date. Sounds lame to me

  4. Alix says:

    Ooh, he’s cute!

  5. Pia says:

    As someone who turned 30, it shocks me how many 18-19 year olds are on on-line dating sites. No surprise neither wanted to communicate. Communication on dating apps can be very….slow.

  6. Honey says:

    Doing something like that has a big chance of ending in heartbreak. 3 years of never meeting in person means you don’t truly know the person. Being together in person is a lot different than just a bunch of messages

    • Esmom says:

      Agreed but at the same time heartbreak is always a possibility in dating. It sounds like now they’re actually taking the time to know each other a bit more before their Hawaii date. Seems pretty harmless and they seem to have good attitudes about the whole thing.

    • tealily says:

      Eh, I don’t think they really think they know each other. They spent three years joking around, not having heart-to-hearts. I think they are doing this on a lark, although he in particular seems pretty in to her. I hope it works out for them, but as Esmom says, they have no less of a shot than if they had met in person.

  7. MeAnnandEddiesEpicLoveStoryIsAHoax says:

    OMG am I the only one who thinks they look like brother and sister? That is some creepiness right there 😱

  8. Ainsley says:

    After only texting sporadically for 3 years, to have your first meeting be so public on tv would be so incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.

  9. Originaltessa says:

    Just to be clear, they’re not a couple. They just had a running gag on tinder that lasted 3 years. It’s not like a catfish situation where they fell in love after years of daily chats online. It’s a joke, and now they’ve finally met. I saw this on buzzfeed.

  10. Tan says:

    My ex and me got together after yrs of whatapping
    We knew each other in college, like name and all

    But the massive whatsapp game started when we both were working in two different parts of the world and staying alone

    Offcourse I didn’t realise he was flirting/ testing water. I actually visited the country he was staying because I thought meh free accommodation. He took it to be sure sign of me into him. Yes I was that dumb
    Anyway he explicitly proposed me per email
    I was single and lonely and accepted
    Then my Indian parents came in and send long distance/ staying at each other’s house: first marriage

    After 9 months of disaster which involved expensive wedding planning he broke it off, via text and email .

    There was a lot of real nastiness involved in a relationship which was so virtual

    It took me quite a while to get back on my feet and stop hating men. But whoever I meet online on any dating app, i don’t waste more than a month chatting/ txting with them . If I see they r still not interested to meet / their idea of spending time is trying to chat, I just wish them all the luck and move on.

    Reality and face to face meeting always beat virtual texting love

  11. HeatherAnn says:

    I thought it was adorable. I watched the clip and smiled. How fun- a free trip to Hawaii.

  12. MostlyMegan says:

    SO AWKWARD. God. That was cringe city.

  13. lizzie says:

    i’m not watching the video but did they both go to the same college? i mean – kent isn’t that big. if they wanted to meet – they easily could have. is this supposed to be cute?

  14. JG says:

    Can someone explain why Tinder is considered somehow more downscale or embarrassing as a way of meeting someone as opposed to Match or JDate? Thanks!

    • Tan says:

      General perception is Tinder is more for those kind of people who are looking for ahem more fun time and not serious something.

      In my experience, this is bullshit

      All dating sites/ matrimonial sites have assholes and creeps who prey on vulnerable men and women/ looking to have fun and disappear.

    • Jjj says:

      Because it’s Grindr for straight people. …a hook up app

  15. Mar says:

    They look like twins

  16. Erica_V says:

    Yeah she’s def not that into him.

    A free trip to Hawaii – I thought that was a joke but WOW.

  17. brooksie says:

    I tried Tinder 4+ years ago after being constantly disappointed by set-ups and random hook-ups/dates in NYC. Two month ago, I married one of the first guys I met on Tinder; he is the greatest thing that ever happened to me!