In classic millennial fashion, we met on Hinge. The dating app designed to be deleted, indeed! Our first date came soon after and was like so many of our dates to come: We toured Duke gardens, Caleb providing fun facts on all the plants -- and the insects that visit those plants. Afterward, we got coffee and went to a nearby record store. We then grabbed lunch at a local Mexican spot. While most first dates last at most two hours, we had hung out for nearly half a day! During the first year of our relationship, that was our typical pattern: a) go on a walk at local park, b) grab a bite to eat, and c) explore the coffee scene (Black and White in Raleigh, NC remains our favorite!).

Yet, that routine had to change during the second year of our relationship. At the time, Alison was finishing up her PhD in Clinical Psychology. The last year of training in this degree involves a one-year full-time clinical internship where students need to move for just one year. Like residency for med students, it's a match process so there's not that much control of where students end up. Alison matched at the Ann Arbor VA in Michigan. Dedicated to this blossoming relationship, Caleb decided to follow Alison to Michigan for his postdoc. He ended up working in a forestry lab at Michigan State University. But because East Lansing and Ann Arbor are a full hour and a half apart, we decided to move in together and relocate to Fowlerville, MI -- splitting the commute difference. We rented a remote house on six acres of land. No longer in a large metro area (population of Fowlerville is less than 3,000!), our life shifted. We still kept date night sacred (and became frequent patrons of those few restaurants in nearby towns with a solid menu) but learned to find other ways to connect in our day-to-day lives (e.g., board games). For both of us, this was our first time living with a romantic partner, and there was a lot we learned during this phase of our relationship. This was also the year that we both came to appreciate how special our love was and slowly learned that we were really in this for the long haul. Oh, and this was also the year that we welcomed our kitty Gizmo into our family!

That said, internship only lasts one year, and the impending end of this clinically-focused year threw our relationship into turmoil again. Caleb's postdoc lasted up to three years, but he was already on the job market for a faculty position. Alison couldn't find a postdoc that was a good match at Michigan State and commuting another year from Fowlerville to Ann Arbor was not a great option. In the end, Alison accepted a postdoc in the psychiatry department at University of Pittsburgh. Yet, by the time that Alison needed to sign on the dotted line, it was unclear where Caleb stood with his faculty job search. By the end of Spring 2023 though, Caleb had accepted a faculty position at the University of Kentucky. And starting Summer 2023, our year of long distance began. As anyone who has done long distance knows, it sucks. Yes, we FaceTimed nightly. And Alison visited Caleb in Lexington at least once monthly (with Gizmo living with Caleb, it was more logistically challenging for Caleb to visit Pittsburgh). And we planned trips in between. But it wasn't the same. Our relationship felt "on pause" -- in stark contrast to how much we grew in our love together during our time in Michigan. An opportunity in the psychiatry department at UK arose, and Alison pursued it. And by late Spring 2024, she had accepted a faculty position at UK -- starting September 2024.

With the light at the end of the 'long distance relationship' tunnel, our life together could move forward. In June 2024, we bought a house in Lexington. In July, we got engaged. And in August, Alison moved down to Lexington. Now, we are planning a wedding -- gathering all the important in our lives -- to celebrate our love! In addition to wedding planning, we are starting to settle into our life together. This new chapter involves a lot of learning, especially how to take care of a home. Caleb keeps the yard in tip-top shape. Alison has learned how to trouble-shoot dryer ventilation warnings. We are also slowly building a life here in Lexington, between hosting dinners and finding ways to engage in the local community. All in all, we are so excited for the current chapter in our journey! And for those coming out of town for our wedding, we are so grateful to be able to show you our new home: Lexington.