We met in the summer of 2016 when Erika was living in Baltimore, MD. We immediately bonded over a love for family, good food, and great beer. After just a month of dating, Ben deployed to Japan for six months with his unit. While Ben was jungle training and visiting foreign countries, Erika was studying voice and working in Residence Life. Both of us were missing each other. Six months later in February of 2017, Ben returned. It was a long, tough journey, but we did it with help from each other and our friends and family! On Thanksgiving of that very same year Ben proposed in front of Erika's ENTIRE family. Erika said "of course!", which happens to be exactly what her dad said when Ben asked for her parents' blessing. This long distance experience taught us that love, as inevitable as it may be, is also a choice. We can't wait to keep choosing each other, every day. Now, we live in Burlington, VT, where we enjoy seeing family, spending time outdoors, and trying different craft breweries in the area. Ben works at UVM Medical Center and will be starting school in the fall, and Erika works at Shelburne Museum and teaches on the side.