It was the fall of 2011. Juliana and her family left the suburbs of Vancouver, Washington for the quaint, artsy Sellwood neighborhood in nearby Portland, Oregon months earlier. Juliana struggled to find community at first. "Fitting in" was a herculean task--middle school is hard on its own, but the added stress of being "the new kid" (with braces, acne, pigeon toes, and a very unfortunate haircut) was brutal. But, one afternoon, everything changed. Suddenly, a tall, handsome, plaid-clad lad burst through the door of Juliana's science class in a scene pulled from a crappy YA novel. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, but Juliana instantly met his gaze. Saxophone in hand, this mysterious stranger, Joseph Brower, jumped onto a desk and serenaded students and teacher alike with the chorus of "Careless Whisper." "I want that one," Juliana thought, mid-swoon. Since that moment, their friendship blossomed. In high school, they could often be seen riding the 75 bus home together sharing a pair of earbuds and listening to the "Guardians of the Galaxy" soundtrack. The two also made the bold decision to join their school's award-winning speech and debate team, spending their Saturdays competing all over the state and snatching the gold in their respective events-- Public Forum, Radio Commentary, and Oratory for Joseph, and the comedic After Dinner Speaking for Juliana. It's important to include the fact that Joseph won "Best Speaker" at Oregon's Speech and Debate State Championships more than once, which is insane. Though they spent countless hours together as adolescents and shared a beautiful friendship, Joseph and Juliana were never romantically involved until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Joseph does not have social media, the two fell out of touch for a few years. Both students of the acclaimed Zoom University (PSU and SOU, respectively) and living with family, Juliana and Joseph serendipitously signed up to judge the same virtual speech and debate tournament: Clackamas Holiday Edge 2020. Upon seeing her in the virtual judges' lounge, Joseph sent Juliana a message including his new phone number and an invitation to grab coffee at Cafe Zamora. In response, Juliana replied: "Did Joseph Brower just send me his number? :0 :)" When the coffee date finally arrived, Joseph and Juliana got on like no time had passed. The chemistry was instant, which is hilarious since they met during a chemistry lesson in middle school. The following February, they couldn't help but confess their love to each other in the Sellwood neighborhood, where it all started. Four years later, after many road trips, mastering their favorite recipes, Juliana's major surgery, and becoming homeowners, Juliana and Joseph have decided to take the next step--marriage.