We met in April 2015 at a wine festival at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary, NC after a mutual friend convinced Cristina to tag along. Cristina had actually brought another date to the festival, not knowing that she was invited specifically to meet Kevin. It was a bit awkward at first -- Cristina wanted to talk to Kevin, and Kevin wanted to talk to Cristina -- but at some point we found ourselves sitting on a blanket by the creek with a bottle of wine in tow, talking about where we came from.. Over the next few months, we continued to hang out. We went out on friendly dates just about anywhere -- for dinner, for drinks, for ice cream. But one night, at Kevin's apartment, we started talking about our goals. Cristina mentioned she was ready to move to New York to work on Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, which had just been announced a month prior. Similarly, Kevin also planned to leave Raleigh. He had recently accepted a promotion in Charlotte and was excited about taking on an expanded role. As much as we enjoyed spending time with each other, we each had professional aspirations we felt compelled to fulfill. And so we became long-distance friends. We checked in on each other, supported each other through break-ups and stressful jobs, and made plans to see each other again. In September 2017, Kevin visited Cristina in NYC; a week later, she returned the favor. They realized quickly that the timing was finally right. Within two months Cristina moved back to Raleigh and Kevin followed suit. In January 2019, by the creek where they had their first conversation at the Koka Booth Amphitheater nearly four years earlier, Kevin asked Cristina to marry him. It was a quick and easy 'yes'.