Our story began during orientation week at the University of Pittsburgh in the fall of 2017. We quickly became friends and spent the entire year building a connection. It wasn’t until the final week of the school year—just before I (Lexi) had to move out of the dorms—that something shifted. We made plans to hang out one last time, and that night, everything changed. In true Dan fashion, he was the perfect gentleman, and what started as friendship began to blossom into something more. Not long after, Dan met my family and completely won them over. Shortly after that, he headed off to Cape Cod to play summer baseball, which marked the beginning of the first of many trips I would make to see him play. That summer trip was nothing short of magical—it truly felt like something out of a movie as we fell for each other on the Cape. That summer was also our first taste of long-distance, full of long FaceTime calls and late-night conversations—something we’d get very good at over the years. On August 1, 2018, when Dan returned to Pittsburgh, he officially asked me to be his girlfriend—although, since he’d already introduced me as his girlfriend at the beginning of the summer, I was pretty sure we already were! We were lucky enough to spend a full year together at Pitt, sharing that true college experience. From walks to class Monday night at Cathy to simple everyday moments (like late night pizza at Antoons). In the summer of 2019, Dan was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles to pursue his baseball career. While he chased his dream on the field, I finished my undergraduate degree and then my Physician Assistant program—both at Pitt. The next few years brought more long-distance, frequent visits, tearful goodbyes, and joyful reunions. Through every season of life, we leaned on each other with unwavering love and support, creating memories that have shaped our relationship. On December 17, 2023, Dan proposed behind the Cathedral of Learning—right where it all started. With both of our families nearby to celebrate, it was the perfect beginning to this next chapter. Since getting engaged, we’ve taken the exciting step of moving to a new city together—Arlington, Virginia. I’ve started my career, Dan continues to pursue his dreams, and we’ve stepped into our favorite role yet: dog parents to Rufus, our golden dachshund. These days, our favorite moments are the simple ones—walking around our neighborhood with Rufus, grilling out, traveling, and soaking up the seasons of life together. Seven years later, and it still feels like we’re in the honeymoon phase. We’re so excited for what the future holds, because as long as we’re together, life is bliss.