This love story starts in 2008 in a basement in Lancaster, PA. Annie and JP’s first conversation occurred after a meeting of the F&M College Outdoors Club. Annie, an excitable freshman, was grateful and enthusiastic that JP, a senior and the Outdoors Club President, had helped to organize a fun lineup of hiking trips around southern PA. Annie and JP only went on one hike together in college, documented below by beloved mutual friend Ferry Foster: Sunday, 9/21/08 (from the journal of Ferry Foster) The hike was amazing. I had such a good time. We saw three snakes, three vultures, and an Amish lady up the mountain. The first snake was big and black. He was draped over a log, halfway through eating a mouse! I’d never seen that before. The next was the same kind slinking away from us into the woods. The third was teeny tiny! He flailed and threw himself along the path. The vultures (at least I think they were vultures) were enormous. They glided along the thermals on their massive wings. We scrambled up rocks and sat on precipices... such a perfect day for a hike. And best of all, I made new friends! The two leaders of the outdoors club, JP and Chris, and Annie who I especially can’t wait to get to know better. We’re so similar and we laughed all day. That one trip was enough for Annie and JP to spark a friendship that spanned over 10 years. After JP's graduation in 2009, the two spent many seasons going out of their way to visit each other in NYC, Albany, and DC where they would go on "friend" dates such as ice skating in Annie's hometown, having long meandering Thai meals in DC, and walking around Staten Island sculpture gardens at night talking about their deepest hopes for the future. Many times they'd ask themselves, "What is going on here? Are we going to kiss or something?" Finally, 10 years after they became friends, the timing was finally right and two souls looked at each other and acknowledged that yes, they should probably kiss or something.

Mary Oliver It seems you love this world very much. “Yes,” I said. “This beautiful world.” And you don’t mind the mind, that keeps you busy all the time with its dark and bright wonderings? “No, I’m quite used to it. Busy, busy, all the time.” And you don’t mind living with those questions, I mean the hard ones, that no one can answer? “Actually, they’re the most interesting.” And you have a person in your life whose hand you like to hold? “Yes, I do.” It must surely, then, be very happy down there in your heart. “Yes,” I said. “It is.”