How We Met Amanda: Javi and I met, quite literally, in the halls of our undergrad school in the blissfully obscure town of Escondido in North County San Diego. I was a Junior, and Javi was that cool transfer student from out of state. We didn't have many classes together, but we hit it off right away and embarked on coffee dates, game nights, and we even taught a CCD class together at a local parish. When I graduated in 2016 and moved to San Francisco, Javi made an effort to stay in touch. As it turned out, I moved back to Escondido in early 2018, and we continued to cultivate our friendship. In the Fall, Javi asked me on a date. After some thought + planning, we had our first date on a sunny September afternoon in Kit Carson Park, complete with wasps, aggressive frisbee-throwers, and Trader Joe's sushi. Despite the comical awkwardness, when he asked me on a second date, I couldn't say no. A few months later, It was clear that I would never want to date anyone else! The Engagement Javi: Just two months after our first official date, I had already bought the engagement ring - that's how convinced I was that she's the one. Everything about us just clicked, and we began thinking about our future together and living out our vocation as a couple. As we were driving up to the mountain town of Julian one evening for a young adult camping trip, I looked up and saw the stars. I remembered Amanda had mentioned that she loved stars, and I decided that tonight was going to be the night. After dinner, we went for a walk and turned off our flashlight, and while she was gazing up at the stars, I knelt down and asked her to be my wife. After a moment of surprise, she said yes! And here we are, almost a year later - continuing to be blessed each day by our choice.