Our story began before we met, when both of us worked at Underground Station in Patrick Henry Mall. Although we worked there at different times, we shared the same coworkers who became like family. We didn’t think twice about each other until Nick came to visit his first Coast Guard unit friends in San Diego, where Mariel was attending graduate school at SDSU at the time. We met up at a local bar, Tavern, where they were having a singles night. Nick sent her a simple message that read, “you’re so beautiful,” and that’s when the sparks flew. We spent the week falling in love before Nick’s trip came to an end and he had to fly back to Baltimore. At the young ages of 22 and 24 a cross-country relationship just wasn’t in the cards (flights are expensive for grad students!) Over time, we remained friends, and are so grateful for a second chance at this once-in-a-lifetime kind of love.