April 2016: Elena and Miklos met in a small hallway in front of a debate hall above an Ethiopian restaurant on Temple Street, New Haven, when her college club was hosting a debate conference (#thanksISI). Miklos was visiting Yale because he was soon to be starting work at the Elm Institute in New Haven that Fall. Miklos claims that he fell for her green eyes at first sight, and after hearing that she was considering staying another year at Yale or moving to Chicago for graduate school, he said to himself "If she goes to Chicago I'll probably never see her again, but if she stays at Yale I'm going to marry that girl." Meanwhile, Elena was puzzling over Miklos's exotic accent and deciding whether or not to friend this mysterious blond giant on facebook. She eventually did add him on facebook, much to his delight (unbeknownst to her at the time). Summer 2016: Elena decides to stay at Yale for grad school. Miklos moves to New Haven and begins work. Elena moves apartments, and Miklos heroically comes to the rescue to move a very heavy couch when her now ex refused to help her. Miklos breaks his knee playing soccer, is temporarily crippled, and disappears for 2 months.
October 2016: Elena attempts to attend a conference at Princeton University, Miklos's alma mater. In previous years, several Yale students have attended, so she signs up assuming that there will be some group transportation plans. This year, only Miklos is planning to attend (or makes it his plans once he sees Elena is signed up) and offers to go with her. Elena waits at the train station. Miklos almost misses the train (he was busy packing tuna sandwiches for them — turns out she finds nothing more disgusting on earth), but arrives at the platform at the very last minute. Stuck next to each other on the train, they have no choice but to talk and get to know each other for what turned out to be a surprisingly quick and pleasant three hours... despite the smell of tuna. That weekend, Miklos asks another girl out on a date directly in front of Elena. He then abruptly decides against it the next morning and decides to take the train back with Elena instead. Miklos somehow loses his glasses along the way to meet Elena and again almost misses the train, but makes it back just in time as the conductor is closing the doors! 3 more hours of conversation (this time no tuna), some text messages, and... December 6, 2016: Elena & Miklos decide to start officially dating!
March 2018: Skipping ahead through many more transatlantic flights, a few hospital trips, like 6 apartment moves in 3 states, hundreds of hours on trains between Boston and New Haven, and probably thousands of miles on Miklos's car, Miklos and Elena officially decide to get married! After a week of Disney movie-themed dates fit for an official Disney princess (Avalorian or otherwise), concluding with a romantic dinner of train station takeout pizza eaten on the Metro North, Miklos proposes at the top of the Empire State Building. Elena accepts. She is not afraid of heights.