Alex and Katie fortuitously met through a social media platform where they were connected via many mutual friends. They began chatting over long distance because Katie had just begun a month in Peru for her pediatric residency. When Alex asked Katie if she would like to meet up for drinks, she said, "of course, but it will have to be in a month when I get back from travels." While she hoped this meeting would happen, the time between made it seem unlikely. Little did Katie know that Alex is a master of following through on his word. Sure enough, shortly after Katie got back from Peru, Alex asked her out for drinks. When they got there, Alex and Katie both knew that this could be something great. The conversation, laughs, and commonalities continued on into the evening where drinks turned into Alex asking to continue the first date with: "do you want to get dinner?," then "do you want to go see a movie?" On the way to the movie, they ran into friends and continued to have a wonderful rest of the evening. They never saw the movie. With that amazing start, the rest was meant to be.

If there is one thing that you might notice about Alex and Katie, it is that they love to travel. Their mutual love for culture and exploration is abundant. This is one of many aspects that has been a continuous joy in their relationship, so it was not out of the ordinary for them to plan a trip to Russia with friends just before the Christmas holiday in 2019. On the second night in Russia, Alex and Katie were walking with their friends through an exquisite Christmas market in Red Square, Moscow. It was natural that, as they neared St. Basil's Cathedral, Alex and Katie's friends asked if they wanted a picture. Katie jumped at the opportunity suggesting they do a romantic kissing photo - certainly the night already felt magical. After the photo, Katie briefly looked over towards their friends, and as she looked back to Alex, he was holding out a ring box! She was so surprised. Taken by utter happiness, Katie with a huge smile let out a squeal of excitement sounding much like "EEEEEEEE!!!" as Alex proceeded to ask her if she would marry him. It was a fairytale moment. Alex, so thoughtful as he is, had planned the exact spot where he wanted to propose. Because of that, they will forever have the gorgeous pictures in front of St. Basil's Cathedral that will serve as a reminder of that fairytale engagement. It was a remarkable moment for Alex and Katie to share their excitement for a lifetime of loving each other, their family, their friends, and life's adventures.