In 2010, two completely opposite people ended up sitting next to each other in high school Spanish class. Alyssa was 15, a freshman, and immediately developed a crush on the loud skater boy with long hair sitting next to her. Jesse was 17, a junior, outspoken, rebellious, and always had something to say. Alyssa was the nice, soft-spoken girl, a little hippie-ish, always with her friends. They probably made the least sense together. But from the beginning, they just clicked. Spanish class turned into constant talking, joking around, and a friendship neither of them really wanted to end. The feelings were always there, but nothing about it was rushed. It stayed a slow burn for years. They were friends first, then eventually started dating, and after high school they moved in together. But life had other plans at the time, and in 2013 they went their separate ways. Years later, after a lot of growing up on both sides, they found their way back to each other in 2018 and picked up right where things left off, like no time had passed. He is still rebellious at heart, just in a more grounded way. She is still free-spirited, just a little more grown into herself. They still balance each other out in all the best ways. Their life together is a mix of loving their cats, watching zombie movies, and squeezing in little adventures whenever they can And somehow, it still just works.

We got engaged in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, on a day boat tour Jesse planned. The boat was beautiful with an open rooftop, plated food, and the kind of service that made it feel more like a floating restaurant than a tour. We were up on the top deck looking out at the water when the tour guide asked if he could take a photo of us. Jesse said, “hold that thought,” suddenly ran downstairs, and came back a minute later with the ring, and asked the guide to record a video instead. He began with “love is patient” and then paused to emphasize patient in a way that made it clear he meant every word of it, and then he asked. It had clearly been thought through for a long time, in a place I never would have expected it to happen. People on the boat started cheering. I was shocked in the best way, completely overwhelmed, and somehow still trying to process that it was actually happening. And just like that, it all led to that moment on the water in Vietnam.