It all started in August 2021 with a swipe on Bumble—and a perfectly planned first date dinner. At the time, Sydney was on clinical rotations in Connecticut, and Eli was working at Pratt & Whitney. They decided to meet halfway for dinner at a restaurant Eli picked, knowing Sydney’s love for chicken piccata. That first date turned into hours of conversation, laughter, and instant connection—they ended up talking until the restaurant closed for the night. From there, things just clicked.

Soon after, long-distance began—first between Vermont and New York City as Eli moved to the big city for new adventures and Sydney finishing her last year of medical school. Then after matching in NYC, they got short time together as Sydney started her neurology residency. Then starting long distance again between NYC and Boston as Eli started at Harvard Business School. Over the next few years, they built a life across city lines and time zones, with endless FaceTime calls and uber eats, weekend train rides, and adventures to places like Zion, Greece, and Prague. Through the highs and lows of residency, business school, and everything in between, they supported each other—proving distance was no match for their bond. In 2025, they finally closed the distance and moved in together in NYC—with their dog Loki.

A few months later, Eli surprised Sydney by secretly arranging for her ICU shift to be covered, picked her up straight from work, and whisked her away on a romantic hiking getaway in upstate New York. Surrounded by her favorite fall colors and views, he got down on one knee—and she said yes.

These days, you’ll find them enjoying cozy nights in their home rewatching Scrubs, Stranger Things, or How I Met Your Mother; trying new restaurants around the city but always coming back to their favorite cookie skillet; or playing Mario Party together—where Eli, playing as Daisy, is usually trying to bail out Sydney’s Shy Guy. They love movie date nights with buttery theatre popcorn, planning their next travel adventure, and taking their dog Loki to the park for his frisbee obssession. Most of all, they love being together—finally side by side—building the next chapter of their story.