I have known Fred since he moved to Westford, MA and joined my sister Cathy in the 8th grade. Being two years apart, we only really knew each other at surface level in high school. It wasn't until the Fourth of July in 2018 that we saw each other at D Street Tavern in Portsmouth, NH, and really hit it off. Fred bought me a drink; I challenged him to a game of Pop-A-Shot, and pretty soon sparks beyond the Fourth of July fireworks were flying (cheesy, but true)! Fred texted me the next day and told me not to be a stranger, and I told him I wouldn't be, and then, feeling bold, offered to host him in Boston if he ever wanted to be shown around town. Six weeks later, Fred took me up on that offer. We later discussed how we were both unsure if the other thought that first hangout was a "date," but as the night progressed, it was clear that it was and that we really had something. We started at an outdoor brewery where we saw friends of Fred's who we then continued the night with, bopping from bar to bar to a restaurant for tacos and margaritas. We ended the night with our first kiss on the dance floor (that we made ourselves), and have been inseparable ever since.

We were on vacation in Ireland, exploring the country for a week prior to my good friend's wedding (shout out to Meg Doherty!). Our last stop before the wedding was Kinsale, a town Fred lived in for a year when he was in the 5th grade. Fred had been telling me for months that there was this beautiful field there that overlooked Kinsale that he wanted to take me to when we got there. So when we arrived, we rented bikes and rode them there. It had rained on and off all week, but that evening happened to be perfectly clear - the sunset and the view of the town was unbelievable. We were drinking in the view and were all smiles when Fred told me he wanted to get a picture of me. I walked over to a good spot and he snapped a few pictures. I then told him to get one of my back in front of the sunset, so I turned around and lifted my arms up (you Instagrammers know the pose). When I turned back around toward Fred, he was smirking and walking toward me. I noticed something sparkling in his hand, and then and there he popped the question! It was the best surprise, and I have never felt more lucky.