We're Married!

While both on a semester abroad in Dublin, Ireland, Mackie and Hugo found each other one night in a pub called O'Reilly's. They quickly fell in love while dating in Ireland. Eventually the semester ended and it came time to say their goodbyes, but they felt there was still more to come in their story. They tried to return to the US and France respectively as "just friends," but that only lasted a few weeks before they decided to start officially dating long distance. Throughout 2020-2021, they were separated by lockdowns and border closures for up to 6 and 7 months at a time. They spent 2 years meeting up whenever and wherever they could, video calling every day, texting constantly, and writing letters. Those two years were some of the most difficult times but solidified the foundation of their relationship, they truly became each others' best friend and confidant through each challenge the world threw at them. After graduating from the University of Washington, Mackie moved to Paris in September 2021 to live with Hugo, who was finishing his Master's degree and working in cybersecurity. They moved into their little Parisian apartment in the 11th arrondissement and began building their life together. Pretty soon Hugo had graduated, got a new job as a cybersecurity consultant, and Mackie completed her Master's degree in a French business school. On their 4th anniversary of meeting, Mackie and Hugo took a trip back to Dublin, the city that still held so much nostalgia and magic for them. At the top of the Howth Cliffs on a beautiful, sunny hike, Hugo proposed and Mackie was elated. They were lucky enough to have their best friends and close family join them a month later at the town hall in Paris on November 25th, 2023 to tie the knot. The following spring they spent their weeklong honeymoon in Rome and have had the time of their lives traveling around Europe the past few years. Now they can't wait to bring the party back to Seattle this summer and celebrate stateside! In the coming year they plan to move to Seattle full time to be closer to Mackie's roots and explore new opportunities together.