How did we meet? The short answer: Craigslist. No, not in the personals or missed connections. As luck would have it, Christi was looking for off-campus housing near The College New Jersey and Mikey and his housemates had an extra room. We became friends and housemates first, sharing stories and making memories through the final two years of our undergrad, and then shortly after graduation, we started dating. Mikey stayed in New Jersey to be with his band, while Christi moved to Queens. After a long year of NJ Transit delays and traffic on the BQE, we moved in together while Mikey did his master’s at NYU. Christi started her career as a copywriter at an ad agency in Princeton and we settled in NJ with our two precious kittens Rafie and Pamyu!

After being together for four years, we learned our strengths and limits—we realized we make a good team, and that together we could accomplish anything. We decided then, to pursue a dream we both had and accepted jobs in Changzhou, China as English teachers at Wycombe Abbey International School. There were plenty of challenges: boarding duties with 30+ primary students in the morning and evening, planning and chaperoning field trips, visits to the hospital with only a translator app for communicating, learning how to operate the Chinese Uber app entirely in Mandarin, and all sorts of wrinkles you can imagine. But for every challenge was a new adventure, and we were able to see cities all over China as well as Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Korea, Philippines and others. Best of all, we met some incredible people that made our time abroad truly memorable.

After returning to the US, Mikey knew the time was right. “Take off June 15-17,” he told Christi. “OK,” she said nervously. “Where are we going?” “It’s a surprise.” Christi claims she had no idea up until this day. In the days before the trip, Mikey left hangman clues on the kitchen blackboard. “Road Trip? That could be anywhere!” “Ivy League? Don’t tell me we’re going to Princeton…” Christi spent some time on Wikipedia. “Boston? New York? New Hampshire?” “Wine Country—Cornell! Are we going to Ithaca?” It was at a vineyard near the Finger Lakes where it happened. After an awkward excuse, Mikey snuck away while Christi waited by the entrance. He came back with a picnic basket and an ice bucket with a bottle of white wine. We walked out into the vineyard, laid out a blanket by a large tree, set out the grapes and cheese and wraps, and shared a drink. To this day, it is one of the best days of both of our lives. And she said yes!