Alex and Eli first met at the North Carolina Governor's School working as counselors in the summer of 2017, and quickly became friends while bonding over shared interests. Though the summer was short, they kept in contact afterwards as Eli went off the the Peace Corps and Alex returned to Boston for his last year of school. A few months later, Alex reached out to suggest a visit to Namibia post-graduation. This took Eli by surprise, because why would Alex want to go to Namibia when he could go anywhere else in the world? In May 2018, Alex flew over and they spent 12 days travelling between Cape Town and a few places in Namibia. At the end of the visit, Alex officially asked Eli out - a decision Eli had to sleep on (Alex did not get much sleep that night). Luckily, the next morning, Eli said yes and a 9000 mile long distance relationship was born. They kept up with each other by phone, only getting to see each other every 8 months or so. Finally, Alex moved to Ireland for grad school where Eli was able to join him. Within 2 months ending long distance and beginning living together, Alex and Eli were not able to leave each other's presence as Covid restrictions kept them locked up in their apartment. Despite the sudden switch in living style, they were able to navigate changes well and after they both finished up their degrees, they spent the next 3 years travelling (when allowed), fostering cats and kittens, and becoming incredibly knowledgeable about Irish whiskey. In December 2022, Alex and Eli said goodbye to Dublin and hello to Washington DC, relocating to Arlington VA. There, they reunited with their kitties Ash and Misty and began re-acclimating to life in the US. Using his birthday to cover for various plans and reservations, Alex planned a proposal in June 2023. Despite being left on a metro platform by Eli immediately prior to the proposal, he went ahead with it anyways. In this instance, he didn't have to wait overnight for an answer - Eli said yes immediately. Now, they look forward to many more years in the DMV area visiting museums, playing beer-league softball, and hosting anyone that wants to come visit! Alex and Eli look forward to celebrating marriage and their future together with their friends and family from all over the world!