We’re getting married!

As COVID settled and the world started returning to "normal", Reem and Michael met at Virginia Tech during their third semester together in the geotechnical engineering graduate program. At a long overdue, salsa-dancing icebreaker, Reem caught Michael’s attention enough to get him out of his seat and on the dance floor. While they shared their first dance (of many to come), Reem also gave Michael her first piece of fashion advice: “you should shave your moustache…”. As heartbroken as Michael was to hear that, his heart was mended by Reem’s bright smile and laughter. A few months and several coffee dates later, Mike and Reem made it official… just in time for Michael to graduate and move back to New York... 500 miles away. But despite the distance and obstacles, their relationship continued to grow stronger; through the start of Michael’s career in New York, the rest of Reem’s PhD studies at Virginia Tech, and the start of Reem’s career in Massachusetts. With the distance between them cut down to a mere 200 miles, weekend visits became easier, but time spent apart became harder to bear. So, Michael proposed on Christmas Eve in 2024, and shortly after that the distance between them was removed as Michael moved to Massachusetts. Since then, they adopted a Luna-tic of a cat, and visited Reem’s home and family in Lebanon. The foundation they built their love on is strong. Through every hardship and joy, they have been there for each other, and they cannot wait to start this next chapter of their lives, celebrating with the people most important to them.