We met the way all good zillenials meet... on a dating app! Daniel was on an ICU rotation for his pharmacy residency, and I was on my 3rd year general surgery rotation in medical school. We bonded over a lot of things: the long hours, hard work, practicing medicine during COVID, and our shared dark humor. Because of conflicting schedules and long hours, it took us a full TWO WEEKS to meet in person. We split the difference by meeting halfway in Salisbury, NC. Daniel had planned for us to go to a Cuban restaurant. Unfortunately, when we showed up for the date, we quickly found out that it had closed permanently. We quickly shifted gears and settled for a quiet, hole-in-the-wall restaurant. We spent the next 3 hours talking, and the rest is history.

Daniel and I had been planning a trip to Aruba for a couple of months. It was a treat for the both of us. I was midway through my second year of residency and Daniel was feeling a little burnt out at work. We thought a week at the beach would be a cure-all for us. I learned, after the fact, that Daniel had been plotting to propose the whole time. About halfway through our trip, I asked Daniel if we could go sit on the beach while the sun set. He said "Absolutely!" and off we went. We found a nice quiet spot on the beach with a couple of beach chairs and posted up for the sunset. I could tell that Daniel was getting a little fidgety but I chalked it up to getting hungry, because it was dinnertime after all. Just as the sunset was getting ready to peak, another eager tourist plopped down in a beach chair right next to us. Daniel did not want to clue me in on what was about to happen. So, he fought his introverted tendencies, and he got down on one knee and popped the question. I think we both blacked out from excitement after that, but all I know is that it was one of the best days of my life.

Daniel and I live together in Concord, NC. We both work at the local hospital. We have a 2 year old border collie/pit named Jax who is the center of our world, and the #1 shredder of toys.