We're getting married!

Dee and I met at our medical school in St. Maarten right after our first ever exam. After some small talk, we parted ways and to be honest, I didn't think much else about it (we had tests to worry about!). Fast forward one semester later, we happened to sign up for the same shift in the Anatomy Lab as teaching assistants where we ended up becoming better friends. During the next semester break, we were some of the only students who stayed on St. Maarten and were stuck exploring the island with each other every day. Somehow the island magic convinced me that he was really funny and sweet and great to be around (really, it was the homemade BBQ ribs and the charming smile.....but mostly the ribs) and he solidified his title as my island best friend. Well that wasn't good enough for him, so after another year or so of dropping (in hindsight, not so) subtle hints and wooing me with his ability to cook a plethora of delicious meals (the TRUE way to my heart), we decided to give it a shot, and here we are!

Short: We got engaged just after sunrise at Pretty Place Chapel in Greenville, South Carolina! Long: I had been staying with his family for the month as we were both on a break from our clinical rotations. Every day we had been doing different activities, and Dee casually mentioned that he wanted to go to a place that neither of us had been to before. I agreed to go, but when I asked where/what it was, Dee said it was going to be a surprise. While this would be a GIANT red flag for anyone else, the man says that about every other place we go to, so I wasn't too suspicious (meaning, I had no clue whatsoever). He also decided that we were going to leave for our mystery destination at the butt-crack of dawn (not my most functional time of the day) and "forgot" my coffee, so needless to say, I slept the whole ride there and stayed clueless. I woke up and walked out into the most beautiful chapel I had ever seen, with stunning views of the sunrise and fog rolling into the valleys....along with about 25 other people who had the same idea about how to spend their morning. Not wanting to make it that much of a show, Dee ended up finding a quiet bench just outside the chapel where he took me aside, forgot what he was going to say (may or may not have been due to my excessive questions about why he was being a little weird), accidentally called himself an asshole, got down on one knee, and before God and His incredible work of art, he asked me to be his wife! And (while it came out together with a jumbled mess of confused questions) I wholeheartedly, joyfully, and excitedly said yes! **Shoutout to Graeme Heintze who snuck up at the end to take some pictures and join us for a picnic breakfast**