Better Together

Having spent a large chunk of our childhoods within a thirty minute drive of one another in Texas, we, naturally, met for the first time while students at the University of Iowa (Go Hawks!). Our relationship sprung from a series of chance encounters: random meetings in our shared dorm building, the accidental selection of the same rhetoric class, and a group of friends that, at times, overlapped. In those fleeting moments, we came to realize all that we shared, from our similar backgrounds and values to our love for food and travel. Our friendship accelerated into a lasting relationship that has carried on for over eight wonderful years filled with laughter and love.

Three years into our relationship, we both took graduate school entrance exams. Tyler applied to law schools across the country, and Alex began a series of interviews for PhD programs in Psychology. The stars aligned, and we were accepted to our preferred schools, both in Boston, Massachusetts. After crossing the graduation stage at the University of Iowa, we packed up our respective apartments (and a feisty, gray cat), and moved across the country into a shared apartment in Boston. We leaned on each other over the following years, picking up a JD, a Masters degree, and yet another cat. Along the way, we came to love this wonderful city and all of its quirks.

The arrival of the pandemic disrupted all of our lives. For us, that disruption resulted in a wealth of time spent together. Tyler worked for a judge and Alex taught, worked, and learned, all from our apartment in Boston. As is inevitable when you spend extended time in a confined space with another human, we stepped on each others' toes on occasion. But we also shared the most wonderful moments together, laughing over TV shows, taking long walks through our neighborhood, and stealing small talks in the middle of a work day. We relied on one another through this time, and it dawned on Tyler that there was no one he would rather share his life with. Over brunch in our little neighborhood of Boston, Tyler got on a knee and asked Alex if she agreed; she did. Now, we are ready to share our city, our joy, and our love with all of you.