It was July 10th, 2021, and I was living in Georgetown the summer before my senior year. After a long day of work, I found myself happily in Adams Morgan, a neighborhood known for its nightlife. As my friends and I walked into a bar called Grand Central, we took a photo and a stranger jumped in before quickly disappearing into the crowd. A little bit later, I noticed a guy with his friends. Much to my surprise, he approached me and introduced himself. His name was Phillip, and he was there for two of his friends' birthdays. We talked for hours. It was an instant connection, and I knew immediately that he was special - a one-of-a-kind person. He asked me on a date, and from then on it was him and me. And the most serendipitous part of it all: when a friend later sent me the photo we took at the bar, I realized that Phillip was the stranger in my picture. “You don’t find love, it finds you. It's got a little bit to do with destiny, fate, and what's written in the stars”. -Anaïs Nin

May 31st, 2025 was a perfectly normal Saturday up until 5pm. We grabbed brunch in Chinatown at Nom Wah Tea Parlor and then split up as Cassidy met her mom for some shopping. Behind the scenes I worked out a plan to have Cassidy's sister, Allie, and her husband, Max, ask Cassidy and me to "meet them for a drink" at Tavern on the Green, an iconic Central Park restaurant. Once Cassidy got home, we got ready and began walking from our UWS apartment towards the restaurant. I’ve always considered myself a fairly calm person, but as we walked through the park, my heart was beating out of my chest. We veered off the path to an overlook where I asked her to marry me and she said yes. Allie and Max emerged from the bushes and explained that "drinks" had just been a ruse. A few tears and photos later, we walked back to our apartment where both of our families were waiting for us on our roof with charcuterie, champagne, and celebration. We ended the night at a beautiful french restaurant around the corner surrounded by delicious food and our loving families. Although 4 years of dating comes to an end, I’m excited for the brief period where I call Cassidy my fiancée, and more importantly can’t wait until I get the privilege of calling her my wife.