Oh yes, it’s been a while. Emma and Dan (we) first met in college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Living in nearby dorms, we found ourselves in the same group of what would become lifelong friends. The first year of college flew by as we focused on all of the things that came with being new on campus (studying, coursework, exams, etc.). It was our second year when we began hanging out outside of our circle of friends, meeting up for lunch at the union or walking together to class. We both swore we were doing these things just as friends. But as this happened more and more... and more, we both realized maybe that wasn’t the case. In classic college boy fashion, it took until Valentine's Day for Dan to ask Emma out on a proper date. It was a double date, but that still counts… right? After that, what most people probably already knew, was official.

Over the next three years, our time together felt endless. We’re sure our friends would say that, in fact, it was endless. If we were not in class, we were probably together. There are too many things to list, but some of our favorite activities were going to concerts, finding a new place for dinner on State Street, and of course game days in the fall. We loved our time in Madison (Go Badgers), and we love our friends from Madison. You all are a huge part of our lives, our relationship, and helped us create the memories we will never forget. Our first major time apart was when Dan accepted an internship during the summer after our Junior year. It was in Phoenix, Arizona. The switch from being together everyday, to not at all was shocking. We both agree that the time apart was perfect for our relationship, but wow did we not realize how much we would miss each other. As Senior year was wrapping up, the job opportunity was there and the question had to be asked “So, do you want to move to Phoenix?”. Emma’s answer was quick.

It was yes. Being from Minnesota and Wisconsin, moving across the country felt bold, but we were both so excited. Before even seeing it, we signed a lease for an apartment, packed a U-Haul and started driving. Once we had our own place we did not last long before we were looking at dogs. Next thing you know, we were at a local shelter bringing our pup Madi home to our one bedroom apartment. If you want to know more about her, just ask Emma, there are thousands of pictures :). Making friends in a new city is hard. Lucky for us, we brought some of our best ones with us. A few of our college friends ended up moving to Phoenix shortly after us, and made starting a life in a new City a blast. The end of our time in Phoenix was unique. We both were suddenly working from home, and truly spending every second together. Fortunately this time together led to a proposal. Dan was planning on waiting a bit longer, but once he had the ring, he couldn’t even make it through the weekend. Dan popped the question during a morning hike at Dreamy Draw Park and again Emma’s answer was a quick “yes”! Phoenix ended up being another City that we will always love. We started our first jobs, got our first apartment, got our first dog, got engaged and got to do so much exploring. We did a lot of local traveling and saw so many amazing places like the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Antelope Canyon (to name a few).

As much as we loved Arizona, we both missed being closer to family. So we took the chance when we got it and moved back to the Twin Cities. Neither one of us knew the Cities very well and it was still mid-pandemic, so you know what that meant… oh yes, parent’s basement here we come! We have never watched so much Wheel of Fortune in a six month period. It ended up being the perfect transition, allowing us to move into our first house! In March, we moved into our place in St. Paul, bringing us to where we are now. In our free time we are either working on home renovation projects or planning which brewery we can try next. We are loving being back and are so excited for what this new chapter has in store for us. It has been an amazing journey so far, and we can’t wait for what’s next!