“I’m just interested in conversation,” typed Brigitte. Andrew asked for her number. “I don’t care. I liked her,” says Andrew.  Their first date? The Mermaid Tavern in Tampa. “We went there every year until it closed down,” recalls Brigitte. Brigitte, who was actually living in Maryland at the time, was in Tampa for a conference to learn how to teach AP Music Theory at USF. “I had just moved back from Pennsylvania,” says Andrew. They hit it off, embarking on a long-distance relationship. 

Their second date was in Maryland. “I was on the plane approaching Reagan Airport and there was a storm off to the east,” recalls Andrew. “I thought, ‘Is this a bad omen?’” he laughs. Quite the contrary. Their relationship took flight.

“He’s my person,” says Brigitte with no hesitation. 

What makes their story more remarkable is that it was a second chance at love for both of them. After being married before and going through “gnarly divorces,” it helped them take stock of what they really value. They got everything on the table on their first date – religion, politics, and more. At the end of the night, they were closer than before. It was a match, and they soon got married at Webb's City Cellar in 2018. They were the first couple, and it was a special moment for both of them. 

“We still like each other,” laughs Brigitte, 7 years later. Their personalities simply match with their witty comments back and forth. “I am the queen of hyperbole,” she says. “He is the king of understatements.” 

“I have the honor of being from St. Petersburg,” smiles Andrew. He grew up on 17th and Bay in what he jokingly describes as the “ugly house on the street.” But he loved the area nonetheless. When he was 14, his family moved to Pinellas Park. After college, he attended dental school in Pennsylvania and worked there for a decade. 

“I had an opportunity to move back to Old Northeast, where I grew up, in 2018,” he comments. He simply couldn’t resist. Now, he works as a dentist specializing in implants and full mouth reconstructions, genuinely loving his job. “I haven’t done a filing in a long time,” he says. A dentist since 2013, he started doing implants 5 years ago and found his niche.  He works at Best Value Dentures and Implants in Riverview, Florida, which is part of the Starlight Dental Group. 

As for Brigitte, she grew up in Tallahassee, attended Florida State and resided in the DC Metro area for a decade. Once she met Andrew, she came back to the Sunshine State. “He convinced me to move down,” she says. “I followed every St. Pete Instagram thing there was.” Between breweries, local shops, and farmers’ markets, there was always something fun to do. 

A teacher by trade, Brigitte taught music in public school for 14 years in Orlando, DC, Maryland, and Northeast High School for several years before the pandemic hit. After having her kids in 2020 and 2021, she started working for the Performing Arts Office in Pinellas County Schools, recruiting for performing arts classes (music, band, theater, dance, and the Ignite brand). “I never thought I was going to leave the classroom,” she laughs. “We’ve got the left brain and right brain covered between our jobs.” And Brigitte has also learned a thing or two about dentistry. “I can look at a dental scan and navigate it,” she says.

What makes this happy couple unique is their love for community. Every Friday night is movie night! Neighbors and school friends gather at their house. Kids play and run around in the backyard. With Andrew’s family in Pinellas Park and Brigitte’s family in Jacksonville, they like to build community where they can. “We want to be the fun house for the kids when they age,” says Brigitte. 

They love living here in Florida. “We are big beach people – we’re Florida through and through,” shares Brigitte. Andrew likes to skim board while Brigitte and the girls, Genevieve (5 ½) and Clara (4), like to find shells and be on the water.

 Other fun facts? “I knit,” says Andrew, “and Brigitte crochets.” Recently, Brigitte worked on a blanket for Halloween made of skulls, and Andrew worked on scarves for the girls. Halloween is something everyone looks forward to. Clara decided to be a unicorn this past year. When she saw the costume from across the room, she ran to it. Andrew couldn’t resist the unicorn theme either. “We actually ended up being an entire unicorn family! Andrew and I wore unicorn costumes with the girls, complete with sparkle freckles and glitter hair!” says Brigitte. This family of four simply likes to have fun. 

The Poulson family is loving life here in the neighborhood. “We love our neighbors. They are the best,” raves Brigitte. Andrew agrees. They can’t imagine a better place to live. If you haven’t met the Pulsons yet, be sure to say hello! They are always looking to meet more friendly folks in the neighborhood (and that means you).