To Have And To Hold

We both were attending UNF in 2019. I was finishing my Bachelor's in Health while he was knocking out his Bachelor's in Transportation and Logistics. Of course, we didn't meet conventionally but rather by Tinder and chatted for weeks on the app before officially meeting! #forthewin We met at the student union and got to chatting. This was followed by an instant connection, long nights in the library or his dorm studying, and plenty of dates to boot. Not too soon after meeting, I studied abroad in Spain while Ryan was still here in Jacksonville. We decided to continue talking as friends during those times, but it was nothing serious, and I think we both thought that with distance, the conversation would fade. WELL, BOY, WERE WE WRONG. Ryan was my go to on many of the days and nights where I was still figuring out my friend group in a new city. We would FaceTime almost every day, and I loved how I could talk to him for hours, and he never made the conversation feel boring. He always challenged my thoughts and pushed me to be a better person. When the pandemic struck Europe in March 2020, I was forced back home. As soon as I settled back home, Ryan was quick to ask me on a date to the St. John's town center, and the rest is history. I have loved nothing more than to get to learn this man's heart, ambition, and purpose over the last five years and now I get to build a life with him for the rest of our days!