John and Alexis met on March 26th, 2022 -- one day after Alexis's 28th birthday and ten days before John was set to deploy to Australia. Of course, John waited until after their first date to mention that fact. They fell in love over those ten days, and although their friends thought they were crazy, they decided to try long distance. Their love grew over phone calls with 7000 miles between them. They would talk for hours, which is not surprising if you know Alexis and John well... They both like to talk a lot. But they loved talking to each other. And now, almost four years later, they still do. Alexis and John share an intellectual curiosity, a love of learning and of debating each other. As only children, they share a closeness with their parents. They have shared countless days reading at coffee shops. Whenever they go out to dinner, Alexis always orders, and they always share plates. John and Alexis share an interest in politics, storytelling, and Formula 1. They share an adorable micro goldendoodle named Piper. Come June 13th, they will also share a last name.