We had been living on opposite sides of the country for 8 years (Ben in NY, Andrea in LA) when Ben decided to move back to California to be closer to family. We quickly went from bicoastal strangers to something special after our first date in LA in January 2022. It was in those first conversations that we quickly realized just how much we had in common: closeness to family, passion for traveling, learning a new language, seeking high-adrenaline adventures, and even our affinity for a fun karaoke night (location of date #2). We bonded over so many shared interests, but we were even more intrigued by how much we had to learn from one another and the unique journeys that finally brought us together. It wasn't long before we were introducing one another to our beautiful families in our hometowns of El Paso and Santa Barbara... and soon exploring the world together with trips to Italy, Mexico, France, Australia, Spain, and most recently Portugal. We had found love and it only grew deeper with every adventure, near and far. We've been so lucky to be surrounded by incredible family and friends who support us endlessly, and we couldn't be more excited to now have all our loved ones join us in celebrating our next chapter. We love you all, and hope to see you in Mérida xx