It started with a glance about 5 1/2 years ago across a long conference table at an event that I wasn’t even supposed to be at. After getting roped into driving a group of Boston University students to a monthly meeting of the Massachusetts Medical Society, I was thrust into what amounted to a Model United Nations for medical students. I kept my nose in my computer while the representatives from each of the schools voiced their particular concerns. I remember thinking “man whatever these folks are talking about is boring but WHO IS THAT!” Across from me sat a girl with incredible voluminous brown hair, perfect olive skin and eyes that I found striking. I can tell you that I didn’t pay attention to a word that anyone said in that room after we locked eyes for a second. The meeting adjourned and I didn’t get a chance to find her in the bustle… A few days later I remember pitter-pattering on my phone in the library one afternoon when I was desperately trying to study for my exams coming up before the holiday break. The distinctive tone from Facebook messenger interrupted my scrolling. It was the girl from the meeting (to this day Kimia maintains that she was the Romeo in our relationship). She started by asking me whether I attended the meetings frequently. I knew she could tell I was not a regular but I thought, “Hey this might be my chance here”. I asked her to coffee but that turned into an invitation to a Tufts Christmas party. We met up for drinks at a local Tapas bar beforehand with a few friends and I remember talking to her was like being sucked into a time warp. Before we knew it we had been at Toro in Boston for over an hour and were going to be late to the party. We exchanged stories about electronic music, travel, outdoor adventures and the raucous parties she used to have at her house in Chinatown—man she was SO much fun to be with.

Our first date was at a local restaurant called The Gallows (what a name right?). I remember when she popped in the front door to meet me at our table, my heart was racing. This time our conversation spanned lots of topics, we even focused on careers and our families. She was an engineer, aspiring doctor, and total badass really. I felt like I was out of my league. When the waiter brought over the menu, I read the top of the thick sheet of paper—Breakfast for Dinner. “Way to go Andrew…” I thought. She calmly ordered a burger and a glass of champagne. “Ah, she’s a keeper”. I proposed that we go to Wally’s Jazz club after dinner. There we jammed out to a saxophonist and had a few too many vodka sodas. That's when we shared our first kiss. The rest is history. Medical school was a series of ups and downs. Anyone who has been through that experience knows that it requires a lot of emotional support to just keep at it. Kimia was there with me every step of the way, all the times I came home totally distraught and she was my rock. We were long-distance for over a year. She did rotations in Portland, Boston, and some town called Dover-Foxcroft (which was way too North to even visit). That was followed by a little over a month in Kansas at a study boot camp for the US licensing exam we had to take called Step 1. When my phone rang or I message received a message from her, everything dropped away. We made the leap at the end of medical school to enroll in the couples match. This meant we traveled across the country, interviewed at a total of 30 programs, and met up in the occasional random city to share dinner together. It was hard but she made it worth it. When we found out we were going to Charlottesville together our lives were becoming ever more entwined. I was falling more in love every day.

Residency was not easier but we had the chance now to create a home together. We have furnished our little three-story townhome, and explored some of the foodie options. For those of you who know us well, we like to splurge on a fancy meal here and there, and if the dish is good enough we sometimes sit across from each other savoring our bites with our eyes closed. Living here in Charlottesville has been great because it has a small-town vibe but punches higher in the dining options. We have traveled, climbed together, and slept in a tent in the freezing Arizona desert. Kimia is my adventure buddy and my life partner. I was sure I wanted to marry her for many months and began plotting when I was going to pop the question. On a trip to Maui, I built up the courage to get down on one knee on a picturesque beach in the morning light. Her face was glowing and her hair was gently caressed by the ocean winds. She was magnificently beautiful, dressed in pastel colors. Her ring sparkled on her finger. Kimia and I are so glad that you will be coming down to visit us here in Charlottesville. We cannot wait to celebrate with you all and dance the summer night away. Nestled here in the mountains, we have a real hobbit to show you. We can’t wait to live it up with all of you and wish you safe travels on your way to Charlottesville this August.