We were both freshmen in college when we noticed each other in the dining hall. My crush on Joe blossomed, while Joe and his friends came to know me as "Beet Girl". For some reason, I'd stack my plate with enough beets to almost clear out the salad bar's supply and hold up the line as I piled them on. Beets are more of an occasional part of my diet at this point, so don't worry-- the beet industry hasn't taken too much of a hit. For a few months, we'd see each other at the dining hall and pass each other on campus, but never shared more than a glance. Somehow, we ended up at the same party, in the same circle, side by side (as it turns out, our friend groups overlapped and they connected the dots). After embarrassing ourselves together with some awful dances, we exchanged numbers and set up a first date the next evening.

After two years goofing off together and supporting each other through papers, exams, and internship interviews, we moved in together but had no idea just how much joy we had in store. That summer, Joe visited home in Kansas for a few weeks. One night, Joe's mom and his sister Emmy were walking Emmy's dog Moose (who's very sweet and wouldn't hurt a fly, but is pretty big) when they encountered a loud, hungry, tiny ball of grey fur. The little menace followed Emmy, Kim, and Moose home, and Joe knew he had to try coaxing her inside. She scampered up a tree in their backyard, but Joe climbed after her, gently scooped her up, and carried her down. Daisy fell in love with Joe immediately (and I hate to admit it, still loves him the slightest bit more than she loves me). That first night, he sent me videos of Daisy climbing all over his lap, head-butting his hand for pets, and yowling for attention to surprise me with our new cat. She plays fetch, tries to eat every plant that crosses her path, and snuggles on us in the most awkward positions. Unfortunately, she developed a passion for shredding toilet paper right at the beginning of the pandemic, but we wouldn't have her any other way. Now four years into our relationship, we've graduated college, climbed two 14ers in the Rockies (which, if you know me and my fear of heights, is a big deal), and started Joe's second year of his PhD program in physics and my second year working for a health tech startup. Joe's helping me slowly but surely learn how to ride a bike. We can't wait to take on what's next!