It all began in 2013, our freshman year at Coatesville Area High School, where we first crossed paths in French class. Little did we know that one simple interaction would shape the rest of our lives. In the fall of 2013, during a football game, Alex found himself sitting in the student section, when he looked behind him and saw Nikki sitting with her friend, Leah. He thought she was cute, but what he felt was something much deeper, something he had never quite experienced before. From that moment, Alex could not shake the feeling that there was something more there. As the months passed, Alex found himself eagerly seeking out Nikki after homeroom every morning, insisting on a hug before going to their dreaded French class. It was his way of getting her attention, but also a subtle way of getting to know her better. Fast forward to May 2014, when the annual Strawberry Festival came around. This is where things really started to spark. Alex and Nikki spent the evening together, riding rides, introducing Alex to his first (and not his last) gyro, hanging out with friends, and even almost getting kicked out of Rite Aid for playing with the bouncy balls. They managed to smooth things over by buying two Arnold Palmers and slipping out. That night, under the stars, they shared their first kiss. As Alex was leaving the festival, his friend Salim asked if he had asked Nikki to be his girlfriend. Alex realized it had completely slipped his mind. Although they consider that night the official beginning of their relationship, it wasn’t until a week later that Alex finally mustered up the courage to ask Nikki to be his girlfriend. The two of them were inseparable throughout high school even with crazy sports schedules and extracurriculars, they found a way to be together. After their initial college years and sometime dating long distance, they found their way back to the same city, Pittsburgh, PA. After a few years, they settled into a quaint rowhome in the historic Mexican War Streets neighborhood. It was here that they became cat parents to two adorable kittens—Jiji and Po. Jiji was named after Nikki’s childhood favorite movie, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Po was named “Po-rogie,” a playful nod to Alex's love for his Grammy’s famous pierogies. Throughout college, Alex discovered his passion for brewing and began frequenting a local Alpine/Bierhall called Lorelei for date nights with Nikki. After many nights filled with woodfired pizza and drinks, he discovered the owners had recently opened a European-inspired brewery called Golden Age Beer Co. Alex applied and has been working there part-time ever since. After a year of being served crisp lagers from Alex across the bar, Nikki began to take interest in the art of brewing and hospitality. She decided to start working at the brewery and has been there ever since! Together, they share this fun part-time job, building memories and growing even closer along the way. Fast forward to December 2023, Alex graduated from Pitt with a degree in finance, while Nikki is set to graduate in May from Pitt (again!) with her doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy. Now, as we celebrate 11 years of love and adventures, we’re excited to share this new chapter of our story with you. Here’s to the many more memories to come. ♥