HOW WE MET It was the evening of Friday, September 3, 2010, in Washington, D.C. The moon was out and stars were aligning. Welcome Week at The George Washington University (GW) was well underway. Gustavo was scheduled to work the tickets table for an OLAS (Organization of Latino/a American Students) event when his tabling partner failed to show. Cindy offered to help Gustavo out of his misery. Bashful as Cindy appeared, Gustavo was surprised to see how seriously Cindy took on her role and promptly started selling tickets. Cindy (from northern California) and Gustavo (from Chicagoland), spent hours talking, working beyond Gustavo’s scheduled volunteer shift. They bonded over how much they both missed eating authentic Mexican food and dancing to good Mexican banda music (in DC, you did not encounter many Mexicans). Eventually, the topic of dating came up and Cindy declared that she would never marry a Mexican as she felt they were too machistas. Gustavo laughed hysterically and the rest is history. OUR JOURNEY Cindy and Gustavo love adventures and exploring other cultures, ethnic foods, drinks and music. They have traveled to 20+ places together. From hiking Fourteeners in Colorado, to kayaking a fluorescent bay in Puerto Rico, and road tripping to Mexico from Chicago, there is never a dull moment or shortage of adventure. Cindy is also very supportive of Gustavo’s sports teams (a tough task considering Chicago sports teams) and also claims Chicago as more of “her” city now than Gustavo’s. From three years of long distance while Cindy attended law school, to Gustavo studying abroad for a semester, their relationship has faced many challenges; however one thing has remained consistent, their mutual love and respect for one another. Cindy and Gustavo have always emphasized the importance of empowering one another and are excited to write the future chapters of their life together. THE PROPOSAL On an early summer morning, Gustavo dropped Cindy off at the Chicago O’Hare airport for a “girls’ weekend trip” to D.C. Little did Cindy know that Gustavo was also flying to D.C. four hours later. To Gustavo’s luck, his planned flight experienced three, multi-hour delays and despite preparing everything, Gustavo forgot to pack his dress shoes for the proposal. Gustavo’s plan was to propose in front of the Lincoln Memorial at sunset; a site the couple visited on their first date and where they also shared their first kiss. Due to the flight delays, Gustavo frantically communicated all day with Cindy's friends and the photographer since arriving after sunset would inevitably postpone the proposal. As fate would have it, Gustavo’s flight finally took off and landed in D.C. just two hours prior the planned proposal time. Gustavo rushed to a nearby store, purchased dress shoes, and checked into his hotel to quickly get ready. Meanwhile, Cindy and one of her friends walked around the monuments. As they approached the front of the Lincoln Memorial, Gustavo emerged from the side of the monument and surprised Cindy. It was then that Gustavo got down on one knee, gave an endearing proclamation of his love and asked for Cindy’s hand in marriage. Cindy was overcome with emotion that she no longer recalls exactly what Gustavo said, but with tears in her eyes, Cindy said “YES!” Gustavo and Cindy are excited for you to join them in Guadalajara, Jalisco to celebrate with friends and family what they expect will be one of the most special days of their lives!