Bali and I met at the beginning of May 2020, under the shadow of a pandemic, about six weeks into global shutdown. I was teaching fifth grade through distance learning, and serving as site rep for the teachers’ union. Bali was teaching his UCSC classes remotely as well, and raising Siddhartha, who was nine at the time, as a single dad. We met online, had a three-hour virtual date, and met the next day in person to go for a hike. We shared a beer and sat on his patio looking out at the ocean, making shy conversation. Then we took a long walk into Pogonip State Park, bordering UCSC. Four years later, we retraced our steps and returned to the first place we kissed, at an inflection point on the trail where a field of sunburnt, wind-whipped grass meets a cathedral of cool, stately redwoods, and got engaged. In the beginning, we podded for a year before we ever went to a restaurant together, and met each other’s families in the midst of social distancing, masks, and generous indoor ventilation. As the world began to open up again, and vaccinations began to turn the tide of Covid-19, we ventured out into the world together. So far (to name a few), we’ve been to Florence, Rome, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Vancouver (BC), Mexico City, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Portland, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. We’ve explored the Yuba River, the California coast, and Kauai. And it feels like we are just getting started. With Bali, I can count on the feeling that—for as long as we are lucky enough to have each other—we will always be in the middle of a conversation, be it about politics, world events, Sid’s latest skate move, the books we’re reading, the movies we’re watching, what our students said today, where we’re venturing to next, how our families are doing, or whose turn it is to hit the taco truck on the way home. In the midst of hard times on the planet, I am so very grateful for Bali, and for the love and support of our families and friends. Thank you all so very much for celebrating with us! My love gave me a little branch With yellow leaves on. The year goes to its end Love has just begun. ― Bertolt Brecht