We met in college, and we both worked for the student newspaper and had crossover classes. I was the nerd who always called her Ms. Bender, and she was the genius who won every class debate. Then, spring semester of our junior year we both took a political theology class and hung out more. During the semester, I helped Mikaela out with an internship application to a prestigious non-profit (which she got, because she’s amazing), and we both wrote our final papers together, staying up late and laughing and joking (not in that order). I remember thinking she’s really cool, but she said she was going to Jordan in the fall, which would be my last semester, so I’d never see her again. And somewhere in my cold, cold heart, I was sorry about that. And she said she would be too. Imagine my surprise when she was still at college in the fall. Imagine her surprise when I was the Teacher’s Assistant for her LIT101 course. We talked a little in classes but things really kicked off when I asked her to help with my senior project: a comedy special poking fun at my college dating experience (or complete lack thereof). Of course, us being us, our meeting to discuss the script led to a conversation about why I’d never dated. And about religion. And comedy. And politics. And nihilism. And literature. And so much more. And I guess we just never really stopped discussing. So after performing the comedy special, I asked her to officially be my girlfriend. From there, life was a breeze. A breeze during which Mikaela went to Jordan for a semester and we were 7 hours apart. A breeze during which I became Eastern Orthodox and started graduate school. A breeze during which Mikaela applied for jobs while out of the country and nearly moved to Chicago. A breeze during which many late night discussions took place, tears were shed (from both of us), and we laughed a lot. Then, on December 30, I asked Mikaela to marry me. And she said yes!