We're getting married!!

When people ask how we met, they typically assume it happened at work — after all, we’re both biologists (he’s marine, she’s terrestrial) and we both work for the government. But our story is way cuter — and way more unexpected — than that. -A Series of Almosts- Reflecting back, there were so many ways our paths could have crossed sooner. It seems we were unknowingly orbiting each other for quite a while. For instance, while Brendan was living in Crown Point, Sandra would often rollerblade on the bike path right in front of his house. When Brendan later moved to Ocean Beach, he ended up just four blocks away from Sandra. While living there, she would frequently pass by on her daily walks to visit a Cooper’s hawk that lived in the tree at the corner of his street. And then there’s the biggest missed connection of all — all those years of our professional lives spent working with the same people but never actually interacting. We’ve even joked that we might have been working in the same place at the same time — Brendan in the rocky intertidal, and Sandra in the nearby salt marsh. Who would’ve thought that for us to finally cross paths, we’d have to go to court? -Jury Duty Magic- It all started on a lovely May afternoon when we found ourselves performing our civic duty at the San Diego Superior Court. By a beautiful twist of fate, we were both randomly selected for the same jury pool. It was Brendan’s first time ever being called for jury duty, and he had no idea what to expect. Sandra, on the other hand, being a true crime enthusiast, had dutifully answered the call to service many times before. We first noticed each other during voir dire, the process where lawyers question potential jurors. Sitting on opposite sides of the courtroom, we listened as each of us shared bits about our lives and jobs and both thought, “I should go talk to that person.” On the next break, we did. For her, it was the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, hitting her like a ton of bricks. For him, it was her stunning smile and the warmth that came with it. Over the next two days, we chatted during breaks as the jury pool slowly dwindled. On the final day, we ended up being the last two people dismissed. We exchanged numbers and made plans to meet up the following week when Brendan returned from a work trip. Unfortunately, the goddess of timing — and COVID — had other plans, and it took six months before we finally went on what would become our last first date in November 2022 (specifically 11/11, for any fellow numerology fans out there!). -The Last First Date- Our first date, like so many of our big moments, took place in Ocean Beach. What was meant to be a quick lunch turned into five hours of conversation, laughter, and connection. We had lunch, wandered along Newport Ave, watched the sunset from the seawall, and shared our first kiss before parting ways for the night. From the very beginning, we knew there was something special between us. We confessed our love to each other on New Year’s Eve before jumping into the ocean just after midnight (in an absolute DOWN POUR!). Since then, we’ve traveled the world together, danced the night away at music festivals, been each other’s ultimate wedding date, and become proud fur parents to Giano (like parmigiano reggiano). We moved in together in March 2024, and Brendan proposed in May 2025. -What Comes Next- We’re so excited to spend the rest of our lives together, and we can’t wait to celebrate the next chapter of our adventure surrounded by the people who mean the most to us! -<3 <3 <3-