We met through a mutual friend while attending the University of Arkansas in October of 2020! We really did not get to know each other until January of 2021, when we started hanging out more, really developing a strong friendship. From then on, there were lots of late nights playing chess, many sunny afternoons playing disc golf, deep conversations in the backyard, and Waffle House outings. With time, we began seeing each other more and more, and eventually, we decided being "just friends" just wasn't good enough.

There are countless reasons why our relationship is one of a kind, but one of the biggest contributors is that we endured being in a long distance relationship for almost two years. We were 530 miles apart, nearly an 8-hour drive. Though long distance has its challenges, there is an abundance of strength and beauty that can be highlighted as well. We have had countless conversations about what we have taken away from our long distance journey, and really, we wouldn't have changed a thing. Of course, we didn't want to do long distance longer than we had to, but it gave us the opportunity to craft the solid foundation we have in our relationship today. We learned what it meant to choose each other and prioritize each other's daily needs. We grew immensely in communication, trust, respect, and in intentionality. We developed a deep appreciation for time, and we learned how to display patience, understanding, and forgiveness as we had to manage the challenges of a relationship while not getting to be in the same room. Together, when reflecting upon this chapter of our relationship, we recognize the unmatchable sacrifice demonstrated. The countless early and late flights, hours traveling on the road, classes skipped, asking off work, and missing weekends with friends or family, all with the faith that it would be worth it in the end. It really was the small sacrifices that meant the most. All of the goodbyes on the phone because the other has plans, sitting on Facetime as homework is being completed or dinner is being cooked, carving time into the day for phone calls and virtual dates, the list goes on. It was the most humbling and strengthening experience. Long distance allowed us to work on ourselves independently while growing closer together. Something that started out as a really scary thing, full of unknowns, quickly became a thing we no longer feared. To us, it was a constant demonstration of commitment and passion we shared. We spent these years learning, reflecting, and working on every aspect of our relationship. The long distance itself was not necessarily easy, but our love outweighed the toughest challenges, and our love is easy.

On New Year's Eve, Ethan got down on a knee. Many people think of just a singular moment a proposal took place, but it was the entire day that I think of. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Huntsville and from start to finish, it couldn't have been a more perfect day. We had brunch, played disc golf at one of our favorite courses, took a long walk around a pond watching turtles and ducks, went to Trader Joe's, and spent the day enjoying each other's presence. Later on in the evening, we had dinner reservations, and afterward, we had plans to meet up with friends to celebrate the New Year. At our late dinner reservation, we began to have a really raw conversation about each other and our relationship, reflecting upon the last year and a half of being together. We do this frequently because it is essential to our growth and connection, so to me that is exactly what it felt like. The conversation was long, emotion was high, tears were shed, and then, at the most perfect moment in time, Ethan got on a knee. I looked around the room, and to my surprise, we were the only people left in the restaurant, with the only thing left being the candles on each table illuminating the room. So, in a room full of silence, surrounded by candlelight, Ethan on one knee, pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him. It was the most organic and intimate moment of our lives. It was the easiest "yes" of my life. The next moments included tears, laughter, jumping up and down, the biggest embrace, and knocking over my almost full glass of red wine onto Ethan's black pants. We all know that's not a surprising move coming from me. We began the celebration of our engagement as the ball dropped on New Year's Eve, walking into 2023 engaged, and ready to begin a new chapter of our lives together. I cannot think of a better day, a day that was completely "us." And now, looking back, I look at that day like I was being proposed to the entire day. The entire day was full of us getting to love each other, embodying what a proposal feels like, and what a marriage should feel like. Of course, the actual moments leading up to him dropping on a knee were indescribable, and the question "Will you marry me?" will be something I internally play on repeat for the rest of my life, however, there is something so beautiful and unique about the day altogether.