We met as college juniors on a semester abroad program in Rabat, Morocco. Though we hit it off as friends (and, okay, there was one heedless night on a hotel rooftop), at the end of the semester we went our separate ways. Phil headed back to finish school in Massachusetts and then on to teach high school math in Kentucky. Layla wrapped up her degree in Washington and then served with AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. After a year of Covid lock down, and both seeking fresh starts we found ourselves back in the same part of the world, Minnesota. We met in person again for the first time in five years and within a month we had started dating. We spent two years together in the Twin Cities before moving to Portland so that Layla could pursue her Masters in Social Work. Despite declaring that she didn't want to get married until after graduation, in January of 2024 Phil asked Layla "so...are we gonna do this thing?" and we were legally married that summer. In the meantime Phil pivoted to computer programming, while Layla graduated with her MSW. We adopted two cats, and we welcomed our beautiful son Jonah Scott in 2025. Now we're so excited to exchange our vows and celebrate our marriage with the people who matter most to us.