...at Kilroy's Bar & Grill, in Bloomington, Indiana. I was a shot girl, Josh was a bartender. From the moment our eyes locked, a spark was ignited. When I got promoted to bartend, my first shift, a double, was with Josh. For months, we casually worked together. But, behind the scenes our story was just beginning. At first it seemed like a short story as fate would test our connection. Josh was planning a move to Chicago (a city I’d never move to). I was a senior in my last year at IU. We knew if we kept spending time together, the spark would become a flame. Despite this knowing, we couldn’t stay away. We were drawn to each other. Our flame grew strong but the runway ran out. We parted ways and said goodbye for…a season. After we parted, Josh’s plans changed. He moved to Indianapolis. After graduation, I moved home, to Indianapolis. Back in the same city, a fated run-in at a popular event brought us face to face. What began as an icy interaction quickly thawed and the spark reignited. Next, came a beautiful pit bull named Sadie, who stole our hearts, late nights of slinging drinks, days of adventures, trying new places, spending time together, and getting to know each other. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months turned into a year during which we had both fallen, undeniably, in love. The flame now a fire and our love, the fuel. But again, our runway was running out. This time, I was moving to Los Angeles (a city Josh would never move to); my lifelong goal. Josh was the AGM of a busy downtown bar and he enjoyed the life he had built. Fate would test our connection again. The thought of parting again was painful. At this point, it was unimaginable. Still, neither of us wanted to ask the other to give up what we’d work so hard to achieve. That choice had lifechanging consequences. When a spontaneous, yet perfectly timed work trip came up, it quickly turned into an apartment hunt in LA. In his incredibly supportive way of loving me, Josh flew out to help me find the perfect one. (Little did he know he was already my perfect one.) A month later, we hit the road on a cross-country road trip. Choosing each other, we made a plan. We’d move me to LA. Meanwhile, Josh would wrap things up in Indy and join me in LA a few months later. Weeks after I moved, our first holiday apart came. Valentine’s Day, go figure! Being apart was harder than I’d imagined. We talked and texted all day until I went into work. And, even late into the night while he worked. On a call as I got ready for bed, Josh insisted I check whether his Valentine's gift had been delivered. I explained that I’d checked the mail earlier with no packages received. Still, he insisted. So downstairs I went! When I reached an empty lobby, I let him know – no packages. He insists it's delivered and ask me to check the stoop. I oblige… Only to find Josh, in real life, standing with his bag packed and a bouquet of roses. Except for dumbfoundedly repeating “what” and “how are you here”, I was speechless. That moment I knew, Joshua and I were the real thing. After that, I had to wait a couple months for Josh make the cross-country road trip a second time. This time with his own belongings packed. Three days later, ‘my studio’ became ‘our studio’ and we started writing another new chapter. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years during which we’ve created a life we love. Since then, we’ve experienced almost nine years together. We’ve learned how to love and support each other, how to grow and evolve together, and that winning a fight means choosing each other. We’ve traveled, celebrated, learned, grieved, healed and chosen each other, throughout every moment. For this moment, we’re choosing each other again, together with all of you, to help us celebrate the start of this next chapter. Thank you for being here. We love you. Now, our story continues…