Ahmed and Maya met on a Saturday afternoon in College Park, Maryland. Despite running in similar circles at University of Maryland, they never managed to meet until homecoming in 2016. They instantly hit it off at the tailgate and eventually exchanged phone numbers at Terrapin Turf. In the spring of 2017, Maya found out that she had been accepted to an internship that upcoming summer in Philadelphia where Ahmed was living and working at the time. He would shoot his shot in May of 2017 while in Dewey over Memorial Day weekend. At first, a miss...Maya was not at the beach. Lucky for Ahmed, Maya left the door open. She asked Ahmed if he wanted to meet up in Philly the following week. They met at City Sips and soon became inseparable. Maya took care of Ahmed when he later broke his ankle, nursing him back to health while they talked for hours in Fairmount and Rittenhouse. Soon after Ahmed recovered, they were back to strolling and exploring the city together, an activity they continue to enjoy today. Suddenly, the summer was coming to a close and Maya was heading to Chicago for law school and asked Ahmed if he’d come visit her. Their long-distance relationship lasted a mere 6 months as Ahmed quickly secured a new job in Chicago and Ahmed and Maya began their life together. As their relationship and love grew, so did their memories. They moved from Wrigleyville to Logan Square into their first apartment together and traveled to Paris, Spain, and Morocco and countless college towns to cheer on their Terps. They road-tripped the Deep South and West Coast. Visiting many friends and family along the way, Ahmed and Maya have felt deep appreciation for the life that they have been given. In March 2021, while Ahmed and Maya were in California, they drove to visit friends in San Francisco and stopped in the picturesque town, Carmel-by-the-Sea. While in Carmel, Ahmed asked Maya to marry him on the rocks of the Pacific. Ahmed also has deep appreciation for the photographer who surprisingly provided a time-lapse of the proposal. He had to ask a second woman to take pictures of the proposal, after the first woman declined his request because she was running late to her doctor’s appointment. Ahmed and Maya have grown their family and continued their adventures, taking their talents to New York City in July 2021. The real star of their show has been Buster All-Smiles Rahwanji-Taha, their playful, 13 lb Bichon Frise, who has been said to have “a certain je ne sais quoi” by his daycare instructor. Buster, like his parents, is a Coastal Elitist, who spends his time swimming in Venice Beach in Los Angeles, Acadia National Park in Maine and the kiddie pool in Tompkins Square Park. His can-do attitude and curiosity brings a sense of mindfulness to his owners, who love cozying up with him for family cuddles. As the big day of 2023 approaches, Maya and Ahmed are ready for marriage. They have known the other is their person since one fateful night night of love at a SoFarSounds show. Now, they are ready for their friends and family to share in that love in the City of Brotherly Love.