As young adults, we were both drawn to Washington, DC, to make a difference in the world. The city captivated us with its vibrant international culture and opportunities to grow personally and professionally. It wasn’t just a place to work and live; it played an important part in who we are, how we see the world, and what we value today. And, ironically, we both lived in the same neighborhood just a few blocks away from one another for many years, but never knew the other existed. Not only do we have the DC connection in common, but we also have mothers who are teachers, fathers who are lawyers, and we even had grandmothers named “Phyllis.” We both love electronic dance music (EDM), are passionate about and find solace in nature, have a thirst for learning, and a propensity to embrace new ideas and experiences. The interesting similarities don’t stop there – there are college connections for both of us to the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and family connections to the College of William & Mary. We’ve also spent years hiking many of the same trails in the mountains of the mid-Atlantic and out west. And you would have thought the Universe was trying its absolute best for us to cross paths as we were on the same backcountry trail in Utah’s Zion National Park just a week apart from one another in 2022. And in 2019, we both, with our moms as our dates, attended a run of the same Shakespeare play at the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia. So, it may be no surprise that by the time we FINALLY met on a cold January night last year, everything easily clicked. We said “I love you” for the first time on Earth Day after attending a rally for climate change action – marching through the streets of DC and getting drenched by a thunderstorm. We shared the same vision of how we wanted to live our lives – retaining our connection to the culturally-diverse city we love, and where we’ve made so many wonderful friends and memories, while also creating a small-town, nature-based lifestyle to settle down and grow our roots. We truly have the best of both worlds together. It really is unique to find someone with whom you can connect on so many levels, and we are excited to begin our journey living out our values as husband and wife. We are looking forward to celebrating our union with all of you this November in this amazing and vibrant Virginia community we now call home.