Like any good story, ours starts with a cast of leading ladies. I was first introduced to the McCoy clan through George's younger sister, Taryn (bridesmaid). Taryn went to U of I with my best friend from high school, Jess (maid of honor). The three of us became fast friends after they visited me at college for the (hilarious) 2012 Harvard-Yale football game. Fast forward 2.5 years later and I'm sitting at work late on a Friday night in Feb 2015 when Jess texts to invite me on a ski trip to Devil's Head, WI with Taryn's older brother (spoiler alert: it's George) & some of his friends. Not one to turn down a good time (unless it's after 6pm on weekdays and 8pm on weekends), I decide to shut down the laptop. We convene at our friend Matt's house (groomsman) when I meet Mr. George McCoy for the first time. Walking in, I spot this tall drink of water standing by the bar & immediately blush. George saunters* over and offers his hand in a friendly handshake. I laughed at the formality of it but couldn't deny the butterflies. The whole weekend felt like I was floating – I had NEVER felt this way about someone before. After that trip, we were exchanging classic "getting to know you" texts when he asked what book I was reading. I sent a picture: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Without skipping a beat, he sent a picture back. He was reading the exact same book, at the exact same time. I knew I was in big trouble with this boy. Those who know us best know that our relationship has been defined by distance – and the unwavering support that accompanies that distance. Whether it's Chicago, Shorewood, Austin, Denver, Atlanta, or Coal City, the constant in our lives over the past 3.5 years has been our love and support for the other person to live the life of their dreams. And now, we're beyond excited to begin living the life of our dreams together. *Note: George only disagrees with the verb choice "saunters" in this story - otherwise all details are accurate.