Like classic millennials, Marc and Crystal met on Hinge. Marc thankfully asked Crystal out on a date right as she was contemplating no longer responding because it was taking too long for him to ask her out. For their first date they met at the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery in Ann Arbor where, to Crystal's dismay, they were told there was a 20-minute wait because Marc did not make a reservation. Crystal now handles dinner reservations due to Marc's clear lack of planning skills. After deciding to go across the street to Connor O’Neills where there was less of a wait, Marc and Crystal had a lovely first date full of laughs and engaging conversation along with Crystal’s comment that the live music was “okay, but too loud.” Crystal came out of the date convinced Marc was a “literary frat bro”, but she at least had a good enough time with Marc to go on a second date, and the remaining fall of 2019 and winter of 2020 was filled with lots of time spent together and fun adventures. Over the next couple of years Marc and Crystal’s relationship grew as they weathered the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic together. Marc heard a lot of medical terms he didn’t understand and was thoroughly confused during many conversations with Crystal and her medical school friends talking about how cool the latest medical procedure they had just witnessed was. Crystal became jealous of Marc many times as her cat Kiki clearly displayed more love for the new man in both their lives than she did for Crystal (at least Kara still loves her more). But more importantly, during these years they always cherished each other’s company and explored their shared interests of hiking, camping, and Belgian beers. Marc knew Crystal really loved him when she agreed to go camping in Kentucky when the weather dropped below 30 degrees during the night. He knew this because she said, “you know I love you because if I didn’t I would’ve insisted we get a hotel right now.” Marc is a fan of clear communication, so this didn’t pose any problems, but seeing her bundled up in two sleeping bags with a scarf over most of her face, shivering from the cold and knowing she was only out there because Marc wanted to do some cold-weather camping, he knew it was true. In the spring of 2023 Marc and Crystal embarked on a European vacation where Crystal suspected Marc would propose. She suspected this because she had gone with him to the jewelry store months earlier to pick out the engagement ring and suggested she pack the ring in her luggage so it didn’t get lost. They got engaged in Belgium on a lovely spring day at the St. Bernardus Brewery bed & breakfast, one of Crystal’s favorite breweries. Marc’s initial plan was to propose earlier that day during what he thought would be a romantic bike ride throughout the Belgian countryside but decided to call an audible once they got lost about five times during the ride and the persistent smell of cow manure that seemed to be ruining the mood. They continue enjoying life together in Ann Arbor where Crystal is still in school pursuing her MD and PhD, and Marc works in the public health field, awaiting the days when Crystal’s doctor salary kicks in so he can retire.