Disclaimer: Depending on who you ask, you might get slightly different variations of the following story. Here's the consensus: We first met at a Key Club Halloween event, "Spooktacular 2009" to be exact. Hoang was in a Key Club t-shirt and Nhi was dressed up as a strange "bottle" of ketchup. Neither of us could tell you what got us talking or what we talked about that night but we both agree that we enjoyed each other's company. We still talk about that day from time to time! After Spooktacular, we remained friends, saying hello here and there as we ran into each other at Key Club lunch meetings and in the hallways at school. THEN, Nhi joined the girls' tennis team. Hoang had been on the boys' team for a couple of seasons now, so he frequently helped out during their off-season/girl's season. We started going to the park to play outside of practice. Tennis led to more shared meals, more conversations, more quality time together, and a great foundation of friendship. The rest, as they say always say, is history!

Many people have asked us or have probably wondered, "Why has it taken you so long to take the next steps?" We truly believe the path to marriage (or not) is different for everyone. While 13 years may seem like too long to many, it was just what we needed. We grew up together throughout the years, supported and encouraged one another through large life milestones, and walked through many different stages of life together. We've learned to love and appreciate, together, both the sentiments and challenges of growing up in a first-generation immigrant family. The 13 years we've had together before marriage have strengthened the foundation of our friendship and relationship. We could not be more sure of our decision to spend the rest of our lives together, and we are so excited and hopeful for the future and for the life and family that we will build together.

Fast forward 13 years, we are engaged to be married, BUT it wasn't easy getting to this point. For a lot of our adult life, we were just chasing the American dream. In 2018, Nhi moved away to San Diego for pharmacy school. Although, it was only 2 hours away, a busy work schedule and the rigors of graduate school made it abundantly more difficult. We found ourselves struggling to find the time but, ultimately, we made it work. We got to explore a new place together and create so many memories. The following year, Nhi matched into a great residency program! The (huge) downside? It was in Sacramento, which meant a 7-hour drive away. Hoang was also in the middle of his Masters in Education. Seeing each other became even more difficult but, again, we made it work! There were endless video messages & phone calls on our way to and from work, quarterly visits home/to Sacramento, and the privilege to explore another new place together kept us grateful and excited. We had faith that this difficult time would pass and so much trust and love for one another. Happy to report, we made it! Still chasing that American dream, but happy to be able to do it together. It's now 2024, Hoang is teaching middle school math intervention (mathematics, coding & robotics) and Nhi is working as an inpatient clinical pharmacist. We've both landed in areas that aren't quite what we anticipated but are grateful for the opportunities to gain new experiences as we continue to build our future together! H|N Hope you didn't cringe too much while reading these stories. In Hoang's words, "That's love, baby! Cheesy and dramatic!"