We met while working at Tivoli Restaurant. It was meant to be! It was a random chance that we both ended up there at the same time. I remember immediately being interested in Ethan for his easy sense of humor, intelligence, and steadiness. I'm certain he thought I was loud and over-the-top, but he still won't admit it! We worked together for a full year while I was away at Wagner College and coming back home every other weekend. We started officially dating the summer after my freshman year, and I became absolutely infatuated with Ethan! When it came time to pack up and go back to college, I knew I'd rather stay and see where this relationship would go. How thankful I am that I stayed!

On New Year's Eve, Ethan and I spent a wonderful, relaxed evening together, but all the while I was wondering if a proposal was coming. We had dinner and drinks at home and then went to the movie theater to see a late night showing of Star Wars. We were driving home singing along to the radio when the clock struck midnight and we went to bed. Little did I know, Ethan was preparing to propose first thing the next morning! He had hidden it in the utility closet inside the toolbox -- the one place I would never look! That morning, I asked him to pour us both a cup of coffee. Instead, he came back with the ring and the rest is history!

After only three years in the making, Ethan and I finally moved to Austin, TX in July 2020. What a year to move across the county! We packed up our cars and I had Ethan take one last photo of me waving from the deck of our apartment before we left our hometown behind. We travelled for a total of 27 hours and over 1,800 miles to get to our new home in the middle of a heat wave! We were so excited for our new lives to start, and the entire drive there I was so excited to start the next phase of our lives together. The moment we arrived here, I knew we were home.