We had mutual friends in Greenville, NC where I was going to ECU studying Theatre and Ben was working downtown. These friends organized several shows at local spots to raise money for the first ever music festival in Greenville. It was at one of these shows that we met. I told one of my friends that I was going to find the cutest boy there, and lucky for him, that was Ben. That night, we exchanged numbers and continued texting - back when it cost 25 cents per message - and we liked each other so much, the charges were worth it. We dated for a few years until I joined the Army in 2008. Our friendship grew into a relationship again in 2013, and we can't imagine our lives without each other.