We met in 2005 through mutual friends. I don't even think we were formally introduced, just people that hung out with the same group of people. Neither of us had a first period class, but were dropped off at school early. I was shy and Jesse was quiet, but we didn't seem to mind it. It was in these quiet mornings that we formed our friendship. We had absolutely nothing in common, yet still we gravitated toward each other day after day. Each day, bridging the gap between our very different worlds. I was comfortable here, with him, I could be myself without fear of repercussion. Jesse became my confidante and one of my closest friends, but when that bell rang, we retreated back to our separate lives. Time passed and our routine remained the same. I remember being in the middle of a particularly confusing boy crisis (PEAK drama for a high school freshman) when Jesse said something that I would never forget. "Well.. I don't want to make your decision any more complicated, but... I have feelings for you." I mildly freaked out. Not only was Jesse my best friend, my safe space, but I had also known him as someone who got into long-term relationships. Something that, as a freshman, I had zero interest getting into. Of course I liked him and had even entertained this idea to myself, but this just couldn't happen. So I did the only thing I could think of. "I don't want to ruin our friendship." I friendzoned him. And he rolled with it. Our friendship remained the way it was, didn't get weird. But to this day, Jesse will still never let me live down the fact that I friendzoned him in high school.

Every year Jesse and I try to get away for our anniversary. But whether it's out to LA or somewhere closer to home, we always try to find our way to the beach. For both us, the beach has always just felt like home. So it came as no surprise that Jesse was researching beach towns for our 5 year anniversary trip. Little did I know, he had something even bigger in store.. We found ourselves in Cambria, California, a small town halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Our hotel room was walking distance to their Moonstone Beach with a window that brought in the serenade of ocean waves. But being so close to the water also brought thick fog and high winds. We couldn't walk the boardwalk without my teeth chattering! Not the most fortuitous start to our vacation.. As the day went by, the winds blew away the fog before dying down themselves, making the weather much more pleasant, and we ventured off into town to explore. Wandering and window shopping brought us to a little microbrewery where we enjoyed local beers and board games. We had dinner at the Harmony Cafe, it's quiet ambiance and live piano music were an unexpected surprise, accentuated by their incredibly authentic pastas. Day one turned out to be a success. Day two we woke up to sunny skies and wispy clouds, a perfect beach day. We had forgotten our beach blanket, so we had breakfast and wandered into town in search of one. We never found one, but how important was a blanket when the beach was beckoning! We walked boardwalk, making dinner plans, and we came to a small cliff overlooking the beach below. I was looking out into the ocean when Jesse asked to take my picture. He then asked if he could read something he wrote for me. I agreed. He began his speech, I could already feel the tears welling up in my eyes, matching the ones that fell from his. My heart skipped a beat as he got on his knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.. And I said yes! And the rest is history!