We're getting married!

Although we first formally met in a our freshman year biology class, Zack and I first crossed paths in middle school, shortly after Zack moved to Indiana from Nevada. I remember I was helping out a friend of mine who was managing track, and had to pick up uniforms from the art classroom where the assistant coach was teaching. After exiting the storage closet with piles of moldy, sweaty track shirts in hand, we ran into a group of boys who were working ceramics. I remember locking eyes with Zackary, and thinking briefly, "The new kid." as my friend and I hurried back to the gym. I once asked Zack if he remembers this encounter, and to my surprise he did! Although it was brief, I still think about how I didn't even realize at that time I was walking by the man who would one day become my husband.

To celebrate our 10 year anniversary, Zack and I planned a two-week vacation to Japan, travelling to three of the most famous cities in the country; Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Kyoto is known for its historical charm and religous sites, and became the home to our engagement. Zackary had it all planned out; in one of the gardens of the Kyoto imperial palace. After a lenghty walk around the park the palace is located in, we approached the entrance of the palace with my mild disappointment and Zack's panic; it was closed on Tuesdays. After having to quickly make change to his plans, he began to make us walk for what seemed like forever to another area of the park; the site of a historical tea ceremony. Like everything in Kyoto, it was breathtaking, with beautiful red fall leaves freckling the sky, to the koi swimming circles around one another outside the pavilions where hundreds of tea ceremonies had taken place. Zack turned to me and asked if I was ready to finally take the next step of our relationship, red in the face and avoiding my gaze. It made me happy that even after all of these years, he still was so excited yet nervous to be so intimate with me. Of course I said yes. We ended our day eating conveyor belt sushi and seeing the great Golden Pagoda, where at its shrine I gave thanks to the universe for bringing me such a wonderful person.