Maybe it was the sight of Jeff's plastic name badge, gleaming in the soft light of the moon, that caught Norah's eye first. Or maybe it was the thin layer of perspiration building above Norah's brow in the oppressive Florida heat that drew Jeff near. Who knows how these things really happen? In any case, we met at a work conference in Key West, Florida, in February 2013. After a cautious 72-hour courtship, Norah’s then-boss told Jeff (his then-client) that he was allowed to ask her out.

While many women these days reverse-engineer their own engagements, please let the record show that I, Norah, am absolutely no exception. That said, Jeff genuinely surprised the hell out of me [my only request!] by proposing on a boat off the island of Vis in Croatia. There were dolphins, champagne, and even a diamond ring (the latter of which I was SURE he didn't have). In all seriousness, it was really, really special.

After four years in Washington, DC together, we put most of our belongings in Norah’s dad’s basement and spent the majority of 2017 traveling around the world. At the beginning of 2018, we resettled in Pittsburgh (“the Venice of Appalachia”), which is beginning to feel like home! Jeff works in software sales; Norah does marketing for a coworking operator. We still travel quite a bit and make an effort to get out in nature whenever we can (with our new Samoyed puppy, Dela!).