Pono and I first met in college in 2012. We were classmates who became friends, though we didn’t hang out much outside of class. After graduation, we stayed loosely connected—Pono would occasionally comment on my photos or send a quick message on Instagram. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. But by 2016, his messages became more frequent—almost daily. One night, he asked if we could talk on the phone. I wasn’t a big fan of phone calls (I’ve always been more of a texter), and I wasn’t quite ready to give out my number. So we tried a Facebook call, but the connection was awful. Eventually, I gave in and shared my number. What followed were long, late-night conversations—hours of talking and laughing—until we finally decided to meet up in person. Our first hangout we watched a scary movie. I remember Pono kept nudging my elbow throughout the film, and I was getting annoyed, thinking, “Why is he trying to steal my armrest?” Turns out, he was trying to hold my hand. Fast forward nearly nine years, and here we are. In that time, we’ve grown so much—both together and individually. We’ve finished school, launched our careers, bought a home, adopted a bunch of pets, and explored the world side by side. Now, we’re ready for our next chapter: We’re getting married!