Anahita and I first met just two weeks after she moved to San Francisco from the east coast, at a bonfire on Ocean Beach for our mutual friend Lindsay Anderson's birthday. Although we only chatted briefly, she laughed at my jokes and the chemistry was palpable. A chance encounter the following month allowed me to build further rapport, after which I finally mustered the courage to ask Anahita for her number and a date. I wasn't going to let someone else swoop in while waiting for the right time! I felt pretty confident she was interested, but had to stay persistent in overcoming a variety of her "excuses" over the next month. My tenacity persevered, and we finally had our first date over dinner at a Burmese restaurant, consumed with discussion over our mutual love of food, culture and travel. I felt strongly afterwards that it was my last first date! I had to leave a few days later on a three week trip to Australia, but thankfully she didn't forget about me. Anahita was the first call I made on my way home from the airport, and we formally started dating from then on. In line with our first date discussion on top places to visit, we planned an impromptu trip to Mexico City for Anahita's 25th birthday a few weeks later. For us, this step couldn't have felt more natural, an experience that truly solidified our love!

Jason and I traveled to Berlin to meet my brother and dad for a family vacation. My dad was coming off his first visit back to Iran in 42 years, so needless to say it was special for the four of us to spend quality time together. On our first morning in Berlin, I didn't think anything of Jason and my dad sharing a private conversation on the deck of our Airbnb, nor the way Jason appeared preoccupied as we walked aimlessly through the city. Little did I know what he had planned. Jason seemed insistent guiding the three of us directly to the center of Berlin's Tiergarten park, where we came across a majestic statue honoring Beethoven and Mozart and the Venus pond lined with cherry blossom trees. When I commented that it was the most picturesque setting I had ever seen, Jason must have known it was the perfect location. Before I knew it, he was down on one knee asking me to marry him. The rest of the day played out like a dream that wouldn't end. Jason surprised all of us with a celebratory dinner at a cozy French bistro and a private midnight showing of the movie Casablanca at one of Berlin's oldest theatres. This memory is so special for my family, and I'll forever be grateful for his thoughtfulness in expressing his love and devotion.