It's the age-old love story: we both swiped right! He opened with a physics joke, and I countered with another one. He said, "Ok, we can get married now." Before we even met in person, we had talked about history, philosophy, physics, and Edgar Allan Poe. On our first date, neither of us could remember the name of Beowulf's sword (Hrunting, in case you were curious), so he texted me when he got home and looked it up. I was so drawn to his calm, quiet charm and insight immediately. His sense of humor is like a scalpel, rather than a shotgun--so sharp and clever and perfectly timed. His eyes are so kind with an irresistible mischievous twinkle. He's unbelievably smart and driven, but never smug. And of course, that HAIR! As the weeks turned into months, he was so gentle and thoughtful with my heart. We took long walks in the forest, he gave me a tour of the CTH experiment at Auburn and let me squeak out at all the cool science stuff, we went to Renaissance fairs, Mardi Gras, and DragonCon in outlandish costumes, we met one another's friends and families, and he became an indelible part of my family. Layla and Curt are best buddies and partners in crime, and she absolutely adores him. Over the past four years, Curt has loved and supported me through periods of struggle, triumph, and growth and has always been by my side. He constantly encourages me and challenges me to do more than I think I'm capable of. When I look to the future, a lot of things are fuzzy, but I know that Curt will be there. He's my hero, my inspiration, and the love of my life. I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

Ali and I met through a dating app. Her name on the app was “Stark Raven” which I later found out was her roller derby name. The first thing I asked her was if she was a “big fan of the Stark effect” (the Stark effect is a physics phenomenon). She didn’t immediately stop talking to me so I knew I needed to meet her in person. On our first date we met at a restaurant and really had a good time trying to remember the name of Beowulf’s sword from the poem. I realized that we had quite a bit in common and I had to keep seeing her. After we started seeing each other more regularly, Ali suggested we go a Renaissance festival in costume. I was not big on costume making up until this point, however now Ali and I now go yearly to DragonCon and I’ve since become an owner of three 3D printers to help with costume making. Ali grew up at the beach and its one her favorite places so I knew that I needed to propose to her on the beach. The night I proposed was a very foggy night on the beach. We walked far down the beach and then I surprised her. I had modeled the ring box (Lord of the Rings themed of course) and 3D printed it in wood filled plastic. Ali is one of the cleverest people I know. I love the deep discussions we have while cooking dinner (Ali cooking, me doing the dishes). I love her wit and breadth of knowledge in so many areas. I love her voice, whether its reading out loud before we go to bed or singing. She really challenges me and makes me a better person with her encouragement and unwaivering love. She truly one of the kindest people I know. I am so lucky to have found my Luthien.