Though we didn't speak to each other at all in high school--with the exception of the time Nathan told Julia to "shut up" on the bus coming home from the U of I Marching Band Competition--the beginning of our invisible string theory begins in August of 2013. A few years, short encounters, and stolen glances down the line, we found ourselves on a first date (which we affectionately call our "first interview") in March of 2022. From this moment on, we both knew we were meant to be together. After nine years of knowing one another, the invisible string tied us together.

A few months after our first "interview", Nathan asked Julia on a date to her favorite Chicago Museum, The Art Institute. This date solidified our feelings for one another, and we often refer to it as our first big date. Almost three years after our first date to The Art Institute, Nathan chose that to be the place to ask Julia to spend forever together. While it has always had a special place in our hearts, The Art Institute has become an incredibly important part of our story.