We've known each other for years since we grew up less than half a mile away from each other. I remember seeing Daniel playing basketball in the cafeteria at lunch at Stanhope School, and I had a crush on him. But he was a cool seventh grader, and I was just a little fifth grader. We really connected in 2012 at Rutgers; it was incredible how much we had in common. A few years later, I saw him at a local bar in town, and we started talking again. On our first date, we had margaritas at Don José, and we laughed all night. We made our relationship official on January 1, 2016.

After dating for five years, I decided that I wanted to propose to Kristin during the 2020 holiday season. I spoke to my brother-in-law, Dan, and was able to purchase the engagement ring at a jeweler in NYC (the same jeweler he used for my sister's engagement ring). I already had a good idea as to what kind of ring Kristin wanted; she was certainly not shy about giving hints! I then decided to propose to Kristin on the first day of Spring (Saturday, March 20, 2021), and asked for her parents' blessing the prior weekend. I made an early dinner reservation for March 20th at our favorite steakhouse in Morristown, J&K Steakhouse, which is on the fancier side - I wanted to be sure we both had a reason to dress well. After dinner, we took a short walk to the Morristown Green around sunset, and I asked Kristin to marry me right in the middle of the park. She said, "Yes!" and we were both overwhelmed with excitement and laughter. We were congratulated by many people walking in the park while we finished our engagement photo-op, which I coordinated with my high school friend who has a photography business. We ended the night with family, champagne, and homemade food at Kristin's parents' house. It was a truly unforgettable day in our lives.