We met at Dickinson College in January 2015. Both of us played on the Ultimate team. The first time we met was at a Valentine's Day "speed dating" theme party. The first time we talked one-on-one was literally on a ~long walk on the beach~ during the team's spring break tournament in Myrtle Beach. Despite having all the signs in the universe, we didn't quite figure out that we should make it official until that May.

When Emily graduated from Dickinson in 2016, it kicked off the start of the "long distance era". While Ryan was still at college, there were countless weekend jaunts across the PA Turnpike between Pittsburgh and Carlisle. When Ryan graduated in 2018, the distance grew larger, as he returned home to Smyrna, Delaware. The train replaced the turnpike, and both of us got very familiar with 30th St Station in Philadelphia (shout out to the Jersey Mike's). Through it all, we never really doubted that we were making the right decision. Friends would ask Emily if it was all worth it. She'd always say, "The only thing worse than doing long distance with Ryan would be to stop doing long distance with Ryan." For the right person, miles don't matter.

In May 2020, Ryan finally made the move from Smyrna to Pittsburgh. After we'd had a four-year head start on the Facetime-only communication style brought on by the COVID pandemic, we were, at last, going to be in the same spot. Ryan landed a great job in Pittsburgh, packed up all his possessions in a Hyundai Elantra, and headed west. Meanwhile, Emily took her parents' SUV back and forth probably 15 times to the apartment. We couldn't have been happier to finally be in the same city.

For our sixth anniversary, May 2, 2021, Ryan planned an amazing picnic date to North Park. We had spent lots of time in the park during the pandemic as a way to get out and stay active. Even before COVID, it was one of Emily's favorite places in town. We found a great spot by the boathouse and the lake, parked our cute new picnic blanket, and dug in. Ryan had prepped a great spread-- homemade wraps, charcuterie, and homemade chocolate covered strawberries. At one point, Emily got up to snap a Polaroid picture of the lake, and when she turned around, Ryan was down on one knee. Since then, we've been having a blast planning the big day.

Honestly, for the most part, we are both homebodies. Ryan is a fantastic chef and Emily loves to bake, so lots of days are spent enjoying yummy treats. One of our favorite things to do is going to concerts- especially of the pop-punk variety. Emily is proud to have gotten Ryan into the music "scene", finally. Maybe one day Emily will take the leap into Ryan's podcast world. We've taken several trips to Philly, NJ, and all over PA to see some awesome shows. Over the pandemic, we learned to love each others' fave sports teams, overcoming some cross-PA rivalries (Go Sixers & Go Pens). We also spend lots of weekends hiking in North Park. We really can't wait to celebrate our love with all of you on August 6th!