We actually don't have a formal meeting story! We use to work at the same elementary school. Sal was the engineering teacher and Mel was the assistant coordinator of the after school program at that school. October 2018, our friend asked each one of us to go to Oktoberfest and we had agreed. Mel took Mayra, a college friend, and Sal went with Alex, his roommate at the time. After a couple drinks, we talked and hit it off! We went on a "friend" date to the California Science Center. After that day, we would go on a date at least once a week from there on out. He and she became we!

We went to Santa Barbara on a mini adventure in December 2020. We didn't have a plan as to what our trip would look like but our goal was to just enjoy each other's company and have a nice time away. On Saturday December 12th, we went to the Santa Barbara Mission, Downtown Santa Barbara where we enjoyed some ice cream, and then sat on the beach. He was dressed up in his Sunday best and I was feeling the effects of the phrase, "beauty is pain." After sitting on the beach for a while, I asked if we could go back to our little hideaway to kick off our shoes and rest. Sal said, "Okay, but before we go, I have to ask you something." He turns to me, takes out a small, little, black box from his jacket pocket and as he opens the box asks me "Will you be Mrs. Usky?" I laughed and was at a loss for words. He waited patiently and finally said, "Sooooo...." "Oh my gosh, YES!" We sat for a minute after that, looking out into the ocean when it finally hit us what we had just done and how excited we were to have taken such a big step together! This is a memory that we will both cherish and look back on for the rest of our lives.