Julia: It all began at a Kappa Sigma pig roast. Surrounded by the sea of polos and football jerseys that filled Oxford, Ohio on a typical Saturday, there stood Derek, wearing a funky outfit that instantly piqued my interest. Instead of going up and talking to him, I added him on every social media platform that night (cringe). Derek: So while you all may think I received this attention from the ladies all the time, I was quite flattered by this random cute girl. I finally initiated a conversation on Facebook…and the rest was history. See screenshot below for our first social media interaction! Julia: We remained just friends for a while but after attending a few Pi Phi and Kappa Sigma date parties together, we transitioned into dating.

Derek: Graduating ahead of Julia kicked off our long-distance marathon of two and a half years. Those highways between Oxford and Knoxville saw way more of me than I expected, all in the name of keeping us going. Julia: With a handful of options for where to attend graduate school, the University of Denver had Derek's unwavering support. Derek: I obviously voted for Denver because of the academics. It was just a bonus that is where I wanted to move, wink wink. Julia: I moved out to Denver, and the long distance continued. This time, it was the Knoxville and Denver airports that Derek frequented. Over the course of dozens of trips, I fell in love with skiing and he fell in love with hiking. Derek: I didn't really fall in love with hiking. I fell in love with hiking with Julia. I finally made the move out to Denver and shortly after, we moved in together.

Julia: Having Derek in Colorado just made life so much better. I realized that I wanted Derek as my life partner. Derek: We began seriously contemplating our next steps. I told Julia she had to choose between buying a house and getting engaged. Not even 5 minutes after we closed on our house, Julia turned to me and asked, "so when can we get engaged?"

Derek: Knowing Julia preferred a round-cut diamond, a twist of fate intervened and a family heirloom emerged- Mom Mom's diamond stud earrings. Julia: Mom mom had planned to pass down her diamonds, one for me and another for my sister's engagement rings. Derek: I flew out to Maryland on a mission to have the stone set by the same jeweler who crafted Hope's engagement ring. Standing in the jewelry store with Mom Mom, Pop Pop and Jeff is a memory I will always hold close. Three weeks of stealthy ring-carrying ensued, each day filled with fear of Julia accidentally stumbling upon the ring. Julia: It was a regular ski day at Vail. Chatting with my friend, Hanna, while looking uphill, I had no clue Derek was behind me unstrapping his snowboard. When I turned around, there he was, down on one knee. Surprises aren't usually my thing, but this one exceeded all my hopes and dreams. It was perfect. Derek: I'm not sure what was more nerve racking, snowboarding around with a ring in my snow pants or knowing that I was about to propose to Julia. The surprises continued- a stay at the Tivoli Lodge, our anniversary tradition, and then a party with our Denver friends. Julia and Derek: The love, gratitude and joy we experienced that weekend was beyond measure. Our journey from college to this moment has been a wild ride, and we can't wait for the unwritten chapters ahead.