I had originally planned a trip to Brazil with my friend Jack in 2020 but had to push it back to 2021. Trying to meet people online to help us find our way around São Paulo, I eventually came into contact with Gabriela, who, fortunately, was looking to meet new people, too. Gabriela had plans to go study in Los Angeles in 2020, but that was put on hold. Around the time we met, Gabriela was working to get her student visa to hopefully go to Los Angeles in January 2022. After texting, talking, and facetiming, we decided to meet (Jack included) for breakfast the day after we landed in Brazil. Gabriela and I did not separate for the rest of the trip. She even came with us to spend a week in the countryside riding horses with Brazilian cowboys. It was hard to say goodbye at the airport. It was one of the hardest things either of us had ever done because we knew it might be goodbye forever. But as soon as I landed, we started working on how we could make our connection last. We decided to see each other before Gabriela had to go to Los Angeles. Due to the pandemic, she couldn't travel from Brazil to the United States without quarantining in one of the few countries considered safe. As soon as she received her visa, we met in Cancún, Mexico. That was our first time together, just the two of us, in a paradisiac place. After this trip, we went to Washington and spent the remaining time until she had to leave. Gabriela met my family, my friends, and we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas together. On December 31st it was time to say goodbye again. We were not looking forward to dealing with the distance once again. In the first semester of 2022, we kept dating long-distance. Gabriela would come to visit me quite often. We even took a second trip to Brazil together. This time, I got the chance of meeting Gabriela's whole family as her boyfriend. Unfortunately, we split up shortly after that. Our life plans didn't seem to align, as Gabriela wanted to work and stay in Los Angeles for at least another two years and I still had school in Washington. Even apart, we never stopped texting. In December 2022 we even started calling each other again. All the time. In January 2023 we started talking about getting back together. Getting back together meant more serious plans. Dating long-distance simply wasn't a choice for us, so we needed to make sure we would stay side by side no matter what. In February 2023 I asked Gabriela to marry me over the phone. During our entire relationship I would always talk about marriage and even call her my wife, but this time it felt real. Gabriela said yes and immediately started working things around to move with me. We're excited to share this next chapter of our story with you. Starting a grown-up life together has been challenging and even scary at times. We appreciate everyone that has been supporting us throughout our journey. Having you all at our wedding will be an honor!