Varun and Krithika met at the end of 2018, when Krithika was in her final year of undergrad in Los Angeles and Varun was working in San Diego. They quickly learned that they had a lot in common - they both went to Monta Vista High, though had never gotten to know one another. Despite the distance between them, their instant connection was too powerful to not pursue. Apart from daily video and phone calls, they would alternate weekends driving between San Diego and Los Angeles just to spend a few hours together. A few months into their relationship, Varun got a home in San Diego, but Krithika had to move across the country to begin George Washington Medical School. Even though they had not been seeing each other for very long at that point, they knew that their relationship was too special to lose. Every 1-2 months, they would attempt to visit one another, either in San Diego, D.C., or in the Bay Area. The COVID-19 pandemic put an abrupt pause on their abilities to visit each other, but they continued to keep in touch through Facetime and frequent calls. Finally, Krithika matched into her top choice residency program at UCLA Emergency Medicine. Two months later, Varun proposed! Varun and Krithika are very excited to come together after years of perseverance, sacrifices, and challenges. They have proven themselves to be a strong couple against all odds, and are looking forward to settle in Southern California.