It’s a little strange to think that we met almost five years ago. My older sister Andi used to drag me out of the house for church events and small groups. There was a new young adult group that would watch and comment on movies and Andi really wanted me to tag along. On the first meeting, we walked into the room and there he was. The first thing I noticed was his hair (haha). It was a really nice purple color and very well styled. The second thing I noticed was how he talked. Somehow, he made every comment sound so professional and smart. He could talk about anything. When the meeting ended, Andi took me by the arm and introduced me to everyone personally. As you can guess, his name was Austin. After meeting everyone else, Andi said we’d be taking Austin back to his apartment because he didn’t yet have a car. I was excited because that meant we’d get to talk more and get to know each other better. On the car ride to Austin’s apartment, I learned that we had so many shared interests. I liked him from the very beginning and my love for him grows each and every day!

I first met Camille at a small group event at our church. I was good friends with her sister Andi, and one day she decided to bring Camille along to introduce her to our group. Camille seemed very nice but shy and quiet, and I was interested in getting to know her better. Slowly over time, we became good friends, but I wasn’t sure what I was looking for in a relationship, and so I didn’t really think I wanted to pursue anything further. At one point, Camille needed programming help for a class she was taking, and asked me to help tutor her, I thought it would be a good way to spend time getting to know her better. Over time I started to spend more and more time with her family and got to know Camille better. I was going through some difficult times, and once I started to talk to Camille, I realized that she was a great listener, and truly cared for me. I hadn’t had a relationship with someone else who genuinely cared for me this much and wanted to like me for me. I had realized that something I was missing in a relationship was to have someone be my partner and equal, someone who would care for me unconditionally, and that I could offer the same back. Camille has been all that and more, and letting our relationships blossom slowly as friends made our relationship that much stronger and clearer, especially after becoming engaged. I can’t imagine my life with anyone but Camille, there isn’t anyone else that understands me the way she does, and no one that I’d be more excited and comfortable to spend the rest of my life with.