We first met at the orientation for our PhD program in Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley. We ended up sitting next to each other at lunch with all the new grad students, and quickly fell into conversation. We learned that we had each gone to Borneo the previous year, and we immediately connected over some shared experiences there. Partway through the conversation, Ben removed his sunglasses to reveal his bright green eyes, and Kelsey’s heart fluttered for just a moment. Having just returned from fieldwork in the mountains that morning, his twinkling gaze and sweet smile from underneath a wild beard was the perfect recipe to win Kelsey over. But it would be another year until either of us could even consider such emotions. One year later, Ben came upon Kelsey collecting redwood cones while walking through campus. He recognized her bright red hair from afar as she crouched by a fallen tree rummaging through the leaf litter—as she is known to do. Ben smiled, enchanted by her appreciation of the little gems of nature around her. He called out to her to ask what she was up to. After laughing together about the funny situation, the two of us began walking and talking together. We walked for several blocks, before Ben had to admit that he had already passed his car and had to turn around to go back for it. Kelsey smiled as she realized that there may be something more than just friendship brewing. He later confessed that he kept walking because he didn’t want the conversation to end so quickly. Fate would throw us together several more times before we went on our first date…to the climbing gym. Our relationship flourished as we began to fall head over heels for each other. We went on climbing trips and attended film festivals, met up for secret romantic walks on campus and climbed trees—in one special redwood, we first said “I love you”.