“Hey, I’m James, I’m from Charlotte, and I’m going to be a dentist.” That was my opener to Summer just two days into our undergraduate experience at the University of Virginia. Now, we live in Charlotte, I am a dentist, and Summer and I are getting married. But how did we get here? Summer and I quickly became friends at UVA. Mutual friends and volunteer work with Camp Kesem kept us in the same orbit, but it wasn’t until our final semester that we started dating. The early days of our relationship were filled with camping trips, road trips, amusement parks, and dinners out. During COVID, we spent a month living with her family in Charlottesville while finishing our online classes. Somewhere during that month, we realized our relationship was going to last well beyond our college days. I left for dental school in Chapel Hill in the fall of 2020, while Summer moved to Milwaukee to become a financial advisor. Long distance certainly had its challenges, but we made it work, and looking back, I think it taught us a lot. A year later, Summer moved to Charlotte, and my plan was really starting to take shape. After dental school, residency took me to Columbia, SC. Our separation was now down to a little over an hour - time for a cat. “Hey James, I just got a kitten. I’m dropping him off at your apartment for the week while I'm on my girls trip.” That was the phone call I received one day during residency. I finally joined Summer and Finn in Charlotte during the summer of 2025. After more than six years of dating, we were finally living in the same city and truly together. I ran to the ring store, and she said yes! These days, life is filled with traveling and lots of time with friends and family. It really is a dream come true, and we couldn’t be more excited for what comes next. We cannot wait to celebrate the next step in our relationship with all of you next June!