This is a modern love story. It all started with a few pictures, a short biography, and a botched cheesy pickup line. It was December 2nd, 2017. Jake was in Oxford celebrating his birthday, with a few friends and many drinks. Athena was in Portsmouth, having a cozy night in. With a little bit of liquid courage, Jake sent the first message: “Heyyy! So is there an angel missing from heaven? Because I heard there's an angel missing from heaven. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂” (yes, this is an exact quote). A little confused but nonetheless amused, Athena responded. After a few days to sober up, Jake asked Athena on a date to a comedy show. A little over a year into their relationship, Jake and Athena hit a snag. The Government. Apparently it’s against the law to live in another country without a visa, and as Athena’s was about to expire she had to go back to America. For the next few months they struggled; they had become accustomed to seeing each other almost daily and now daily messages would have to suffice. They were anxious to see each other when the first visit came around, and by the end of the visit, they had decided that they couldn’t do this long-distance thing. Their only option to live together was to get married. Now, of course, they love each other and only see their future together, but circumstances rushed their hand.

By July, Jake had begun planning the December proposal. He knew from the start that he wanted a surprise. He also knew that because they had already decided to get married and Athena would know a proposal was coming, the only way to surprise her was to arrive earlier than she expected. After Athena and Jake's second visit they called to book the tickets for the next visit. Before this, though, Jake had sneakily bought his tickets and edited a picture of them so that Athena wouldn't know the real date of his arrival. While waiting for the third and final visit Jake searched for the perfect ring and Athena planned for the weddings to come. Jake also kept them both busy by sending clues about the proposal, though none of them made much sense to Athena. Thursday, December 5th, was the day Jake was arriving, Athena thought that it was Saturday, December 7th. That evening Athena thought she was surprising her mom by joining her and a friend for dinner. When they arrived, Athena was handed an envelope, it was the final clue. She was supposed to open it immediately, but as she was opening it she hears a familiar whistle behind her. "What is my dad doing here?" she thought. She turned around and started to walk over when she saw Jake, here two days earlier than she had expected. He fumbled to turn their song on, having not been ready for her to walk over quite yet. Athena quickly opened the clue but didn't take in much of what it said. Then Jake was down on one knee asking the big question "Will you marry me?" She, of course, said yes!

We know our situation isn't normal and we've had a lot of questions, which is understandable as it's all very confusing. I, Athena, will be moving to England late February or early March (by the time you're reading this I might already be there!). I'm moving to England on a fiance visa; this type of visa only lasts six months which means we have to be married by the end of that time. Our legal wedding will be on May 7, 2020. That evening, we will invite our families to join us for a meal to celebrate, and later anyone is welcome to join us for drinks. After this, I will apply for a marriage visa, which will last for 2.5 years and allow me to work in England. We have already began planning for two more weddings, one in the US and one in the UK. The UK wedding will be held in May 2021, we don't have the specifics for this one yet, but it will include a ceremony and reception. The US wedding will be on August 7, 2021, this one will just be a reception to celebrate with my family and friends in the US.