I had just moved to DC to start my first job out of college. It was my first day of work and Jose was there to help me get set up in the office that we were sharing. He was very quiet, hard working, but very serious. As a social butterfly, Jose and I did not initially click. My nickname for him was Toast, because I thought he had a personality drier than a piece of stale toast. But, after several months, I finally broke the ice and asked him a very important question, "What kind of snacks do you like? Do you want to start a snack drawer?" We shared an office (and snack drawer!) for a year before Jose returned to Los Angeles for school. We managed to maintain our friendship while on opposite ends of the country - which I did not expect. Little did I know that this friendship would build the foundation for what would soon blossom into our long distance relationship.

Our paths crossed shortly after transitioning into research fellowships in Washington, D.C. Although we shared an office space, our ability to develop our relationship as friends was initially hindered by our determination to minimize unnecessary distractions. After a few months of working with Marilyn, it was clear that she was a focused, driven, and curious woman with a natural gift to draw you in with her sense of humor. For instance, on the days when I needed a quick laugh, I did not have to look far as I observed Marilyn's tendency to accidentally walk into walls, or like the time when she was so focused on completing a presentation assignment that she did not realize that she had been working all morning with yogurt on her hair. Despite sharing this brief moment as colleagues, the experience was memorable and served to build a solid foundation for a supportive and meaningful friendship that would later blossom into a loving partnership.

Walking down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial... Jose: How do you feel about how everything happened for us? Like what are the odds that things would work out so well? Marilyn: You mean what are the odds that two people from LA meet on the east coast, share an office together for a few years, leave to opposite ends of the country for school, jump into a long distance relationship, and manage to turn it into something so great? I don't know. When I think about us, life just kind of happened and brought us together.