We met our freshman year of college at Berry. We were acquaintances, friends of a friend, enough to warrant a follow on Instagram. We interacted occasionally through mutual company. During the summer before our sophomore year, Ross lived on campus to fulfill his scholarship duties while I went back home for the summer. We occasionally talked through Instagram messages, bringing up funny moments from our rare hangouts, and even talked about getting dinner once a month so we could catch up and build a friendship. When the school year started again, I moved in early so I could work the information desk during Viking Venture (freshmen move-in). On the first evening of working, Ross walked into the commons area of the Krannert Building and I was so excited to see him. We hugged and spent a few minutes catching up before I had to get back to work. Later that night, at the end of my shift, he stopped by again and I had mentioned something about how I was taking a new freshman (a friend from high school) to Walmart to grab a few things. Ross, being the gentleman he is and also well acquainted with the sketchiness of the Rome area at night, insisted he come along to make sure we felt safe. I was happy to have an entourage for the Walmart excursion, after all, the college experience is all about hanging with friends whenever and wherever you can. We did some shopping, ran into other Berry students, bought two bottles of Jarrito's (a Mexican soda) and joked about chugging them in the car. Just a really fun and goofy time. Once we made it back to campus, I dropped my friend off at her dorm and went to drop Ross off at his. But I didn't drop him off, our conversation was just too good and I was having too much fun to drop him off already. I drove up to mountain campus and parked in the Frost Chapel parking lot to continue our conversation. We talked for maybe 5 hours straight. He was so easy to talk to and we talked about everything, and I remember thinking, "I think I could marry him, he could be my future husband", while we sat there in the car. Around 5 AM, I asked if he wanted to go to Waffle House with me. It was my birthday and I started a tradition a few years prior where I go to Waffle House on my birthday because its also National Waffle Day. He agreed and we ate and laughed and talked. I eventually did drop him back off at his dorm, since we both had to work in a few hours. We kept talking and texting for the next week while things ramped up for the school year and classes started. One night, I was feeling a little sad and anxious, and I told him. He offered to drive us up to Mountain Campus and drive around for a bit just to talk until I felt better. I agreed and we drove up and he told me he had this perfect spot for stargazing. If you know me, you know I love stargazing, so obviously I said yes. We parked in the Winshape retreat parking lot (you aren't supposed to go there as a student so it added a bit of excitement). He pulled a random sleeping bag out of his trunk and a jacket for me to wear, since it was surprisingly chilly for an August night. We sat on the top of the hill and talked. We had a competition of who could count the most shooting stars. I was losing horribly because I couldn't focus on the stars, I wanted to look at him. Eventually, I worked up the courage to blurt out that I had a secret and I told him I had a crush on him. He told me he had a crush on me, too. That was the start of our relationship, August 30th at 1 in the morning sitting under the stars. It was magical, and it was hilariously ruined by a car that pulled up right beside Ross' car (in this parking lot that we aren't supposed to be in). We assumed in was campus police coming to check out the car. We sat silently and completely still when the person got out of the car and just started to pee in the grass. We realized it was not a cop, but just some random student. This was the start of a relationship full of magic and laughter.