Alyssa and Drew met in the summer of 2014 while they were both studying in Fes, Morocco. Alyssa quickly adopted Drew, a late arrival that summer, into her circle of study abroad friends. Their shared experiences that summer made them fast friends, from long Arabic classes to souk visits, and led Drew to confess his fondness for Alyssa in a letter, given to her at the airport, that would go unanswered until both made their way to Washington, D.C. a year later. During this second summer, their friendship became something more, with a letter from Alyssa to Drew in response.

The first year of Alyssa and Drew’s relationship was mostly spent apart, in between Mississippi and D.C., but they still have many fond memories today of the visits and phone calls from that time where they got to know each other better. Since 2016, the two have lived in D.C., exploring the city together and growing closer as partners each year. They got their first apartment together in 2017, and added a cat to their family in 2018. In 2020, Alyssa and Drew took their first international trip as a couple to Peru, making it back just in time to ride out a global pandemic from inside their 1-bedroom apartment. They have supported each other through career changes, graduate school, the loss of loved ones, and helped each other become who they are today. They have also celebrated together family getting married, graduating, and being born.

While in Amsterdam in January 2024, Drew asked Alyssa to marry him while standing on a bridge above a canal. He blacked out and does not remember anything he said. She cried (and said yes). They cannot wait to celebrate with everyone the start of this next chapter in their lives.

Stefan A. Photography https://www.stefanaphoto.com/