I transferred to the University of Maryland in the fall of 2013 and decided to major in Kinesiology. My plan was to go to grad school following graduation and prepare for a career in physical or occupational therapy. There was a guy in several of my classes and we eventually became friends. It wasn't until later that I found out that Collin was his roommate. Now, Collin would say that the first time we were introduced was at the student center (a.k.a Stamp) when I was grabbing lunch and he was bowling with some friends. I, on the other hand, would say that we met the following spring when I was invited by to a soccer formal by my friend/classmate/Collin's roommate. Either way, this is not where our relationship began. It wasn't until move-in day of the fall semester that I got a call from my friend/classmate/Collin's roommate asking if I could help him unpack. I met him outside of our apartments, as they were right near each other, and Collin was standing with him. That was the moment I knew (Collin still doesn't believe me to this day). It may have been his summer tan or his nice haircut, but I was determined to get to know him better. Over the next weeks, I spent a lot of time at their apartment. Whether it was to study or to hangout, it was just another opportunity to see Collin. Still early in the fall semester, Collin and his roommates decided to pledge fraternities and on occasion, I would get invited to certain parties. There was one night in particular I called my friend/classmate/Collin's roommate and admitted that I had a huge crush on Collin. Naturally, the information was passed on to Collin. I can only assume that a serious conversation ensued and it later was determined that "guy code" would not be broken if Collin decided to pursue me. We started "talking" shortly after and spending quality time together. It wasn't until November 18, 2014 that Collin officially asked me to be his girlfriend.

It was September 7th, 2019. Collin and I planned on going to Quiet Waters Park and then have dinner at a pet-friendly restaurant in Downtown Annapolis since we were bringing our new puppy, Peyton. On the way to the park, Collin told me that he forgot he had to help his grandpa move debris from the trail behind their house. He insisted his mom would make us a really good dinner at the house instead. Of course, I got upset and told him how difficult it was to find a pet-friendly restaurant and how much I was looking forward to it. I ended up going along with his plan. We walked a few trails, enjoyed nice water views, tried pulling Peyton in a wagon and then headed down to his grandparent's house. The sun was just beginning to set and Collin insisted I walk with him along the path while he picked up a few twigs. As we turned the corner, I could hear someone singing. I asked Collin if it was his grandma singing out their back door. He just laughed. We kept walking until I saw some of the trees were lit up and candles along the pathway. I was extremely confused as to what was going on, until he got down on one knee. I immediately started crying as he asked me to be his wife. He led me down the path and there was a round table set up with flowers, candles and a bottle of Champagne. He had an Italian dinner waiting and cupcakes for dessert. We talked and danced and laughed until it was dark. It was the most perfect night and I could not have asked for a better proposal. That moment will always have a special place in my heart. In case you were wondering what Peyton was doing the entire time, she was sleeping.