We're getting married!

Our story begins in autumn 2015 in a quaint town in central Italy between two kindred spirits who did not yet know of the other's existence. Sarah and Damiano had both enrolled at the Umbra Institute, she to conduct research for her thesis in Education and he to take classes in European Politics. "May I borrow a pencil?" he asked the girl next to him on the first day of class. When their eyes met, Sarah immediately felt that a beautiful semester was ahead of her... Weeks passed with both trying to avoid being caught looking at the other, and surreptitious glances slowly turned into hallway conversations. In late September, they met randomly on the town's mini-metro, but neither had the words to speak besides exchanging shy smiles and hoping the other could understand. So on passed the weeks until a field trip to Rome provided an excuse to spend the day together walking through the park and eating a picnic lunch at the fountain in Piazza di Spagna. On the train back to Perugia that evening, Damiano offered to be Sarah's translator for her research as an excuse to give her his phone number before inviting her to a friend's graduation ceremony that night. The following evening, Halloween, Sarah and Damiano joined friends for crepes before Damiano invited her to a small pub to share a glass of wine and conversation. They ended up talking for hours, late into the night. They spent the next weeks secretly talking in the hallway at Umbra Institute, listening to music at the town's cafes, taking evening walks down the main street, and sharing their love of poetry. They were both amazed by the mutual ancientness of their souls and how close they immediately felt. After weeks of thinking they would have had to say "Goodbye" forever when Sarah flew home to the States, Damiano walked Sarah back to her hotel, took her hands, and said, "We have to make this work." Now, after three years and many flights across the Atlantic, they decided never to spend another moment apart.

After three years of long-distance, Damiano and Sarah realized that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together as a family, loving and honoring one another. Sarah moved to Italy in the Summer of 2018 to complete an internship and her thesis for her Master's degree while being closer to Damiano. On Saturday evening, September 15, 2018 (remembering the week they met spontaneously on the mini-metro three years prior), Damiano asked Sarah to go for a walk, and they visited one of their favorite spots in Perugia on top of the Renaissance walls that overlook the city below. They had spent many evenings at that wall talking, dreaming, and reminiscing. This time, Damiano began by recalling when, three years before, Sarah had asked him at that very spot to "have courage" and to give their love a chance. Just as the sun was setting, he promised her that he would always have courage, he walked her to the point of the overlook, kissed her, suggested they take a picture together, and instead of a phone, pulled the ring box out of his pocket. He knelt down and asked, "Will you want to marry me?!" As soon as Sarah knew what was happening, she began saying "No, no, no!" but only out of surprise, and when she understood the question, she immediately said the happiest "YES!" of her life.