In the summer of 2017, Victoria and Robert had a pivotal encounter. Both were taking an accelerated course, and both were late for the very first class. It didn’t take long before the professor had a problem on the board and was asking the class to solve it. Victoria turned around and asked Robert if he knew what was going on. His response, “Yeah, you don’t?” Not the best first impression. Ironically, the class was Chemistry. The two would spend every day of the next 6 weeks together. Their first lunch together was at Mandalay Restaurant in downtown Silver Spring. Their relationship was blossoming and before parting ways they went on a weekend getaway to Hershey Park. Shortly before Robert returned to the University of Minnesota, he asked Victoria about continuing to date. She responded with a hard maybe. Long distance can be a big stressor. However, that didn’t stop them from maintaining daily contact through constant texts, numerous FaceTime “dates”, and long phone calls. It was Thanksgiving when Robert invited Victoria to his family dinner, and she finally accepted they were a couple. There were numerous ups and downs, from Robert’s bike accident that required a craniotomy to Victoria fulfilling her goal of getting into and graduating with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. They have been together for a wonderful six years. And when their lives finally linked up again it was time for the proposal. On January 23rd, 2023, Robert asked Victoria to be his wife. And in true fashion, Victoria said, “Really?! You’re proposing now?!” Her expectation was that it would happen on the 7-day cruise they’d planned together as a much-needed vacation. However, she had previously requested it be a surprise and that it was! The long distance had brought them closer together, and they are beginning a new chapter as an engaged and almost married couple in Holy Toledo!