I was originally planning to go study abroad with my best friend, but I changed my mind and decided to stay back and start nursing school instead. Since I was sticking around, I chose to sign up for another year with the gymnastics team at my college. That school year, I made a pact with myself not to date and to focus on my own growth and future career. On the first day of gymnastics, I got to meet all the new incoming gymnasts, and Justin was one of them. The only thing I knew about him was that he was the cousin of one of the gymnast that was on the year prior but that was the extent of what I knew about him. One evening, as I was leaving the gym to hit the books, he surprised me by asking if I wanted to grab dinner with him and his family. I thought it was a bit crazy since I barely knew the guy, and crashing his family dinner wasn't on my to-do list. In my head, I was ready to say no, blaming it on studying. But to my surprise, I blurted out "sure." I couldn't help but wonder why I said yes when my initial reaction was to say no. But there was no turning back, so I convinced myself, "Well, maybe it won't be that awkward, and hey, it's free food." So, I showed up for dinner, thinking it would be just his parents which I could handle that since I'm an extrovert. But boy, was I in for a shock—it was a full-blown family reunion, with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Mind you, I hardly knew Justin. But I decided to roll with it and make the best of the evening. As the dinner went on, we shared many laughs, and his family's warmth made me forget that these people were complete strangers. That quirky start to our friendship eventually turned into a four-year-long relationship that ultimately lead two kids in love to the altar.