The night was young and so were we. One fateful night in January of 2011, we found ourselves in a crowded room, weaving in and out of a mass of mutual friends, celebrating a birthday. Still to this day, neither of us recalls who initiated, but at some point in the night, we found each other. Without realizing it, our hands were locked - and something much larger than we knew at the time, was set in motion.

Ever since that fateful day in January 2011, Catherine and Alex always remained in each other's orbit. After graduating college and often finding themselves in separate parts of the state, country, or world, there always seemed to be an occasion where one would find the other. In the month of September, 2013, Catherine was well into several months of European travel. After a 23 hour train detour on a journey from Bologna to Budapest, she finally arrived at her hostel and was starting to settle in. One of her friends had avoided the delay via plane and unbeknownst to Catherine, had been already met with a familiar face. Alex had been casually speaking to Catherine of previous travels to Budapest, and obtained which hostel she had selected to stay at. He preceded her arrival and patiently waited for the right moment. While Catherine was unpacking, in desperate need of a shower, and coincidentally wearing Alex’s DeadMau5 shirt she “inherited” ***, there was a gentle knock in the doorway behind her. There, half way across the world was standing the man who had her heart, and as if everything was running in half speed at the time, she jumped into his arms. Four days in Budapest were a blur, and like all good things, came to an end with an airport sendoff. *** (spoiler alert) this would be the exact same shirt Catherine would find herself in on a very similar occasion in Thailand...

The early 20's is an uncertain time in life, and with neither knowing what the world had in store, each goodbye was incredibly difficult. Budapest would be the last time they saw each other for several months. Alex split time between many destinations, calling home wherever he hung his towel. Catherine fell in love with travel herself and was determined to see as much of the world as time would allow. Southeast Asia was in her sights, and upon takeoff, was messaged a, “be safe, have fun, and send me your itinerary!” Now coming off of Budapest, she couldn’t help but consider the very real possibility of a certain someone finding his way to her. She was embarking on this trip alone however, and after one and a half months of exploring, she had pushed those thoughts aside and was letting life happen. Of course, this is when things get interesting, and there was one crucial element to this next twist. Alex and Catherine had a mutual friend teaching English in Thailand. Plans were made to grab some dinner and after several minutes of catching up, the discussion soon turned to playing a game of pool. Catherine walked over as the previous player was finishing up his round - and that’s when it happened. Alex turned around and looked her in the eyes. It’s in these moments where time has a way of standing still. What took place in these next two weeks while exploring the streets and seas of Thailand are memories that will always be cherished. This goodbye was different. It was a goodbye that each were dreading and neither wanted to say, so it was left as, “until next time.” That next time was three months later, right before Catherine’s 24th birthday, and it was on a drive from Orange County to Phoenix that Alex laid out his intentions. The two have been figuring out and loving this thing called life ever since, having the beautiful appreciation that it’s always a little bit brighter when standing side by side.

Years ago Catherine and Alex went on a hunting trip. They hiked up hills and down arroyos looking for an elusive deer that did not want to be found. It was on this trip Alex realized he had found someone that would be by his side through thick and thin. Fast forward to September 2019 - they went on another hike, this time to paint a steel target that hangs on the hillside. After shimmying under a barbed wire fence, scampering over boulders, and avoiding cacti, they made it to the target and went a bit further to check out the old hunting spot. “Look, a deer!” said Alex. “Where? I don’t see it…” she replied, and when Catherine turned back around, Alex was down on one knee holding up an amber ring with two pre-historic mosquitos trapped inside; a ring which Catherine had marveled over months before in Lithuania. And just like that, they would be like those insects, together forever.