C&D

We met at Southern Methodist University in 2015. Our first year there we had Pre-Calculus and sat next to each other. While in Pre-Cal, we had a "friendly" competition for the best grade. Of course, Carmen won. Since then we became friends who would stay in touch but wouldn't actually realize the potential in our relationship until much later.

Unlike many traditional proposals that can be summarized by lovely weather and picturesque moments, our engagement was the opposite. Daniel had planned to propose overseas however Covid had other plans. As such, in collaboration with the families, Daniel opted for a local proposal in the city on October 29th of 2020. To his surprise, and to those in attendance, NY was set to be hit with torrential downpours that same day. Fast forward to the day, in cold and wet weather Daniel somehow convinced me to join him in a desolate Central Park. As we walked we eventually stumbled upon a stone path that lead to a reservoir. The path was adorned with pedals that led to a floating box attached to a bouquet of balloons just off the water's edge. As we neared the edge I recognized the box and became speechless. I knew this was something special. As I drew closer to the box, Daniel knelt down on his knee and asked for my hand in marriage.

During their senior year in college, Daniel finally asked Carmen out on a lunch date. It was during this lunch that Daniel invited her to his formal for his fraternity and soon thereafter they were inseperable. With graduation fast approaching, they both had to figure out what they wanted to do. Carmen had plans to move back to NYC for grad school and Daniel decided he would stay at SMU to complete his Masters in Engineering. Despite their sperate plans, the heart wants what the heart wants. And so, for four years, Carmen and Daniel were the main characters of their own long-distance love story. Together they explored new cities, countries, and experiences. Eventually, in 2019, Daniel's professional endeavors landed him an opportunity in New Jersey. Though finally in the same time-zone, their love story was coupled with a 2 hour commute. The one perk of being in quarantine was the time spent together, finally in the same space. Despite the distance and time, Carmen and Daniel's love was steadfast and serendipitous!