We're Getting Married!

We met initially through a mutual friend in college and our friendship grew being part of our Christian community on campus. Soon enough, we began to study and do homework in the same places on campus, and our friendship grew through bonding over Brooklyn 99 and the aesthetic of fire on a cold day.

Our friendship continued to deepen after having time to heal from difficult circumstances in the fall. We started watching new episodes of Brooklyn 99 together, having conversations about our faith, and spending a lot more time together. In February, we both realized that we were developing feelings for each other, but it would take two months for us to have a conversation about it. Since we were both heading off to different camps for the summer, we decided that we wanted to be exclusive, but didn't want the responsibility of starting a relationship two thousand miles apart.

After a long summer, we both came back to Ithaca excited to see where this new relationship would go. Our first date set the scene for the next semester, with time exploring nature, enjoying good company and food, and Zack being prepared for injuries or any other craziness that Joy brought. Zack graduated from Ithaca College in December 2019, and Joy headed off to an intensive semester on the West Coast for the Spring 2020 semester. Enter Covid-19 pandemic which kept us from seeing each other for 3 months. Zack spent the summer traveling down to Ephrata each weekend as much as possible before Joy came back to Ithaca for a remote semester. The rest of 2020 passed enjoying as much time together, and appreciating the little things. Spring 2021 saw us continuing intentional time together, including our first High Peak in the Adirondacks. We spent the summer apart again, Joy in Ithaca taking summer classes and Zack back at Gretna Glen in Pennsylvania. Throughout the summer, we spent as much time together through video chats and phone calls as we could and supported each other through some more difficult circumstances.

Fall of 2021 we spent a lot of time talking about plans, and getting married. It was only a matter of time before Zack got down on one knee at Joy's favorite state park in Ithaca and popped the question. Joy was pretty sure it was going to happen on that hike, and she tried her best to get Zack to admit it, but Zack was able to hold her off until *almost* the perfect time. Joy spent the rest of the hike staring at her finger, and riding cloud 9. The real surprise was two of her best friends at dinner to celebrate all together. It still hasn't set in, but we are so excited to be planning and working towards a day that represents the beginning of the greatest adventure we could ever hope for.