In March 2017, Laura was outside Drakes Dealership contemplating leaving for the night, when on a whim she decided to return to a friend’s birthday celebration. She arrived to find Nick standing over her chair, wearing a bright blue jacket that matched his eyes. As the evening went on, Nick noticed Laura was a great conversationalist and a fun person to lose to at cards, and they exchanged numbers. After a few lovely dates in the East Bay, Laura invited Nick to her “preparation for the Eugene marathon celebration” on April 6 (known to others as her birthday party), and Nick found himself more and more stopping by Laura’s apartment to kiss her goodnight after long days at the lab. The next seven years included many adventures and discoveries: Kaiser doesn't cover climbing injuries in Canada, Swiss trains really do run on time, sunburns are a natural consequence of snorkeling with octopi, one can find scallops the size of apples on Skye, and the Pacific northwest has gorgeous summers in July. Most importantly, they learned that challenges big and small, from PhD to expressing one's needs, are best tackled through teamwork, mutual support, and trust in commitment. Nick and Laura are thrilled to share their joy with you this April!