It was my senior year at Boston University. Justin and I had been on the fencing team together for 3 years by that point, but we had never really hung out. We fenced different weapons you see. We eventually began to see more of each other, though, through mutual friends. But it was Club Nationals in 2013 where we really started to bond. I still remember telling another team member, "He's a really nice guy," when he ran to get me water between bouts. We continued to hang out together via group gatherings. By the end of April, everyone except the seniors had moved out. Justin was a year behind me, so he should have been part of that mass exodus. He stayed behind, though, for work, giving us an opportunity to really get to know each other. We began doing things just the two of us and both quickly realized how much we enjoyed those moments. As a senior, I knew I would be moving to Virginia and then to New Orleans for graduate school. A long distance relationship didn't seem to be the best idea, but I promised Justin that we would keep in touch. He meant too much to me even at that point to just let things go completely. Justin agreed to the arrangement, and it worked for a while. He told me later that he never had any intention of just letting me go. But he knew to give me time to think, consider options, and come to the conclusion myself that we should be a couple. We did keep in touch and even saw each other again in Boston later that year. That visit sealed the deal for me. The excitement I had to see him was overwhelming. I wasn't going to let him go either. It was pretty much history from there. We've been together ever since, and I wouldn't have it any other way. He'll be the first to tell you that he made up his mind long before I did, but hey. Better late than never right?

Having been together for 4+ years, we both knew that getting married was part of the plan. We actually had talked to both of our respective parental duos about the proposal before we even had the ring. All-in-all, I didn't expect to be surprised. But being the amazing person that he is, Justin pulled it off. I was at work when he asked if I wanted to go on a Spirit Dinner Cruise that night. I instantly knew what that meant and could barely hold myself together around my office-mates. I left, showered, got prettied up, and anxiously waited for our Uber. Justin had booked the whole package: complimentary champagne, shrimp cocktails, and full access to the bar. The tickets actually had "special occasion" on them, so the staff kept asking what it was. "I'll tell you at the end of the night," was Justin's go-to response. I knew, I just didn't know when. Right after the buffet opened, Justin snuck away and asked our waitress where the most secluded place on the boat was. She apparently got really excited when she found out he was going to propose. Justin came back to the table and asked if I wanted to go up to the top deck. We passed staff members as we walked upstairs. I figured they were all just taking a break to allow everyone else to get plates of food. I actually got a little nervous when I noticed that about seven of them were on the top deck. Unbeknownst to me, Justin had arranged for the staff (including their official photographer) to take pictures. One even got a video of the moment. I barely gave him time to get on one knee before I hugged his neck, and pulled him back up so I could kiss him. I did all the girly things I never thought I would do: jump up and down, cry, get giddy, the lot. It was a beyond perfect moment.