Our journey began in a way we never expected—at a Weeknd concert, in 2015. While we "totally" hit it off, it wasn’t until a whole year later that we finally started dating. Sometimes, good things take time! At the time, Santiago was working and living in the States, where we quickly learned that distance does make the heart grow fonder. Our relationship grew via late/early (for Amanda) night phone calls, morning texts, and visits when possible. It wasn’t easy, but every day apart made us more certain that this was something real and worth it! Eventually, Santiago decided that the distance between us was too much to bear, so he made the biggest decision of all and moved back to Canada to be closer to Amanda and family. In 2020, we then took the leap and moved in together, starting to build our life side-by-side. During this time, Amanda was also focusing on school and Santiago supported her every step of the way, cheering her on! Despite the many protests from Amanda, who was known to be fearful of dogs, we welcomed our sweet, wild, little dog, Chico into our family. Not only has he filled our home with even more love and laughter, Amanda grew to love him most of all. Throughout the years, Santiago kept talking about a "10-year plan." He’d often joke about what our future might look like, making plans for us down the "long" road ahead. On February 1, 2024, on Santiago's birthday, a day we’ll never forget, he got down on one knee, in his fanciest sweats, and asked Amanda to make him the happiest ever, by spending forever together! Our story might not have followed a traditional path, but it’s been perfectly ours—full of surprises, growth, and an abundance of love. And now, as we start this exciting new chapter together, we can’t wait to see where our journey takes us!