In August of 2021, we first met as Udall scholars during an online Zoom conference at the height of the pandemic. As unbelievable as it sounds to claim that anything good came from COVID-19, it is how we found each other. After that Zoom call and months of digital correspondence, we finally met face-to-face in New York City a year later for a jazz show and drinks, where our sparks flew at last. We started dating officially soon afterwards, even with the long distance requirements of our respective graduate school programs at Duke (Joy) in North Carolina and NYU (Max) in New York. With a shared love of environmental policy, geek culture, fitness, learning, and exploration, our connection has blossomed into a relationship to last a lifetime. Be it traveling around Europe halfway through grad school or fighting for a more sustainable future in our current lives in Washington D.C., our shared values and intertwined passions have fostered a deep devotion to each other—one that has survived distance, hardships, and time. We are so excited to make memories and take on life together, leading with love and hope!

While most graduate students spent their summers chasing competitive internships or working in the nearest bustling city, we both decided it was time to take a break and finally travel across Europe—together. Together, we visited Greece, Poland, France, Italy, and Spain, visiting Max's extended family in Greece and Poland along the way. It was during our very first week in Greece that we got engaged. One evening, Max invited Joy to join him on a peaceful rooftop of his family's Andros home for a couple of "Mythos" and "Fix" Greek beers before dinner. Joy, thinking nothing of it, joined him for a toast on the rooftop. As we said cheers, Joy notes that Max started "mysteriously tearing up" and professed his gratitude and love for the past year of their relationship. To her surprise, he dropped onto one knee and presented a beautiful white gold ring that he'd spent the past two months forging himself from scratch—using the time to reflect on the relationship and the experiences we'd formed together. Joy instantly said yes ("It felt right!") and savored the fun moments of breaking the news to family members several days later, over afternoon Ouzo shots.