There is something in the water at Syracuse University. SU has been the origin of many long-lasting love stories, particularly among the brown and black students. We initially bond on being a first-generation college student from working-class neighborhoods and the unique set of pressures that come with that. There is instant comfort and shorthand in knowing that there is a group of people who understand you without having to speak a word. Such was the case with us. Although we were not on campus at the same time, there was an immediate connection. We met at an alumni event for HEOP (Higher Education Opportunity Program) which we were both nudged to attend by our own Cupid, Craig Tucker. Aside from the obvious Syracuse connection, we quickly realized how much more we had in common. We're both children of Dominican immigrants from Uptown Manhattan, went to Catholic school, we each have 2 siblings (1 of 3 girls and 1 of 3 boys respectively), and we're both very adventurous. There was something very natural about the way we just fit together. One of the first things German said was "How have we not bumped into each other?"

Hay algo en el agua en la Universidad de Syracuse. SU ha sido el origen de muchas historias de amor duraderas, particularmente entre los estudiantes morenos y negros. Inicialmente nos unimos por ser estudiantes universitarios de primera generación de vecindarios de clase trabajadora y el conjunto único de presiones que conlleva. Hay comodidad instantánea y taquigrafía al saber que hay un grupo de personas que te entienden sin tener que decir una palabra.

Indhira: I thought he was cute, late!!, and there was something genuine and sweet in his eyes. German: Beautiful, Who is this pretty lady?

Indhira: ¡Pensé que era lindo, tarde!, y había algo genuino y dulce en sus ojos. German: Hermosa, ¿Quién es esta linda dama?

Indhira: Our first date was at Mia Lounge (which happened to be up the block from my house) and he still insisted on picking me up in an Uber lol. Outside, we had our first kiss, as corny as it sounds. German: For me, a memorable date was during that beginning phase, where you're still trying to decide where the relationship is going. I wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend at Mama Sushi. Mama Sushi is a memorable place for us. I wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend but I felt like she was going to break up with me. I remember being nervous and excited at the same time.

Indhira: Nuestra primera cita fue en Mia Lounge (que resultó estar a una cuadra de mi casa) y aun así insistió en recogerme en un Uber jajaja. Afuera, tuvimos nuestro primer beso, tan cursi como suena. Germán: Para mí, una cita memorable fue durante esa fase inicial, en la que todavía estás tratando de decidir hacia dónde va la relación. Quería pedirle que fuera mi novia en Mama Sushi. Mama Sushi es un lugar memorable para nosotros. Quería pedirle que fuera mi novia pero sentí que iba a romper conmigo. Recuerdo estar nerviosa y emocionada al mismo tiempo.

German: We were walking on Broadway near Mamasushi and I wanted to tell her that I loved her. Indhira: He actually said I love you two different times. We were on/off for 3 years. The first time, we were making out and he said it really low and he thought I didn't hear him. The second time he said it, we had gone out to dinner and were arguing.

German: Estábamos caminando en Broadway cerca de Mamasushi y quería decirle que la amaba. Indhira: De hecho, dijo te amo en dos ocasiones diferentes. Estuvimos encendidos/apagados durante 3 años. La primera vez, nos estábamos besando y lo dijo muy bajo y pensó que no lo había oído. La segunda vez que lo dijo, habíamos salido a cenar y estábamos discutiendo.

German: Her ambition, how much she cares about family, her heart. Indhira: He is really family-oriented, open and caring with everyone, sensitive, and romantic. I love that he's very traditional about certain things. I also love that he works on improving himself, and he really has improved. He's also super hot :-)

Germán: Nos empujamos a ser mejores cada día, nos hacemos responsables unos a otros y eso nos empuja a ser mejores personas. Indhira: Él escucha genuinamente los comentarios y los aplica, nos empujamos mutuamente a salir de nuestra zona de confort y a ambos nos encanta probar cosas nuevas.

German: We push each other to be better every day, we hold each other accountable, and that pushes us to be better people. Indhira: He genuinely listens to feedback and applies it, we push each other to go outside of our comfort zone, and we both love to try new things.

Germán: Nos empujamos a ser mejores cada día, nos hacemos responsables unos a otros y eso nos empuja a ser mejores personas. Indhira: Él escucha genuinamente los comentarios y los aplica, nos empujamos mutuamente a salir de nuestra zona de confort y a ambos nos encanta probar cosas nuevas.

Indhira: German has a certain joie de vivre. He genuinely enjoys talking and meeting new people and people automatically love him because he's a very genuine person. If I had to describe him in three words it would be: loving, dedicated and genuine. German: In three words, she's sweet, kind, and a go-getter.

Indhira: El alemán tiene cierta alegría de vivir. Realmente disfruta hablar y conocer gente nueva y la gente automáticamente lo ama porque es una persona muy genuina. Si tuviera que describirlo en tres palabras sería: amoroso, dedicado y genuino. German: En tres palabras, es dulce, amable y emprendedora.

Indhira: German proposed in front of my family. It was supposed to be a mother's day/birthday/going away celebration, so I wasn't expecting it. I knew it was coming, but when he did it in front of everyone, I was still so shocked. He got down on one knee and proposed. German: Before the proposal, I wanted to get her parent's approval by taking them to dinner, but because of Covid, I couldn't do that. This wasn't how I wanted to do it, but when it was getting close to the date, I called her parents over the phone to ask for their blessings. I was scared that one of you would tell her :-). At the restaurant, I got her a cake saying "Will You Marry Me?" but I wanted her to think it was a birthday cake. It was really important to me that all our family was there. Family is very important to us.

Indhira: German propuso en frente de mi familia. Se suponía que era el día de la madre/un cumpleaños/una celebración de despedida, así que no me lo esperaba. Sabía que vendría, pero cuando lo hizo frente a todos, todavía estaba tan sorprendida. Se arrodilló y me propuso matrimonio. German: Antes de la propuesta, quería obtener la aprobación de sus padres llevándolos a cenar, pero debido a Covid, no pude hacerlo. No era así como quería hacerlo, pero cuando se acercaba la fecha, llamé a sus padres por teléfono para pedirles su bendición. Tenía miedo de que uno de ustedes le dijera :-). En el restaurante, le compré un pastel que decía "¿Quieres casarte conmigo?" pero quería que ella pensara que era un pastel de cumpleaños. Era muy importante para mí que toda nuestra familia estuviera allí. La familia es muy importante para nosotros.

German: I look forward to raising a family, to build together--we have a lot of things we want to build together. Indhira: I'm excited about our many adventures. All of our laughs, us growing together, evolving individually and as a couple and seeing what our family will look like.

German: Espero formar una familia, construir juntos; tenemos muchas cosas que queremos construir juntos. Indhira: Estoy emocionada por nuestras muchas aventuras. Todas nuestras risas, nosotros creciendo juntos, evolucionando individualmente y como pareja y viendo cómo será nuestra familia.