One February day, I saw Ben's Hinge profile with an absolutely ridiculous video of him being an "olympic skier", and I immediately was into how silly he seemed to be. After our first date, I called my mom and told her that I literally had just gone on the best date of my life. On our second date, we cooked homemade lobster gnocchi and he asked me what wine I thought would "pair best" with the meal. I was SO intimidated (since I am a Franzia gal through and through) and was afraid he would discover that I was a Fraudulent Adult. Luckily, he didn't seem to care that I didn't have an established career or that I loved to drink instant coffee. I never really expected to find someone who so perfectly balances and constantly supports me. I’m so excited to spend our lives learning and exploring together!

Lydia and I met on a rainy Saturday at Liberty Park on February 13th, 2021. I had gone to a nearby café to ease my nerves ahead of time. As I walked over, I was wearing an oversized black rain jacket, covering half of my face. With foggy glasses and a London Fog in tow (wordplay!), I saw Lydia for the first time. She was smiling with her larger than life sweet grin, walking a soaked dog and wearing clothes that actually fit her body. I remember feeling so uniquely comfortable with her from the second we met. I removed the tent of a jacket I was wearing and offered it to the dripping dog (Louis). Lydia and I talked for hours (I skipped the dentist appointment that was scheduled for tooth hurty) about our backgrounds , what we were doing in Salt Lake City, our hopes, and the fact that neither of us was eager for something serious, even though both of us called our parents after our walk in the park, telling them about the person we had just found. I remember telling my dad that she might be the one, that I hadn’t ever met anyone like her, and that I was so happy knowing she existed, regardless of what happened. The next year was filled with Lydia learning what non-instant coffee was, me learning what actual skiing was, and the two of us building the foundation of a relationship, through nerdy late-night chats, mulberry hunting around 9th and 9th, and the squabbles that come with two passionate people comfortable with confrontation, trying to figure the other person out. It’s cliché, but I am, without a doubt, a better person for having known and grown alongside Lydia. She is my best friend, and it still honestly doesn’t feel real to be given the gift of getting to know and love and be with her.