I started my first year at BYU, not knowing what to expect, while Payton was settling back into life after serving a two-year mission in Atlanta, Georgia. We had crossed paths a few times at practice in those first couple of weeks, but I was too caught up in the excitement of my new freshman friends to notice anyone outside of that. Then, during the second or third week of school, we officially met, and I’ll be honest, the first thing I noticed was he was tall, and his shoes were so cool. That first conversation was definitely not a typical introduction. Somehow, we ended up talking about how Payton’s grandma wanted grandkids soon, which led to him joking, “Which means I need to get married in a year.” I thought it was hilarious and decided to play along. “No way, me too! I want to be married in a year.” Without missing a beat, he smiled and said, “I guess we’re getting married then.” And that was that. We laughed it off and went our separate ways, not knowing that those words would actually come true. Not long after, we both got parking tickets, but instead of being annoyed, we saw it as an opportunity; Penguin Brothers was running a promo where you could cash in a parking ticket for free ice cream, so we made a night of it. At the time, we were strictly friends, but looking back, I joke that it was our “first date.” That night was the beginning of our friendship, but for me, it was also the first time I started to catch feelings. Over the next few months, we became best friends. We talked all the time, swam together at practice, went to football and basketball games, and made so many memories without even realizing how much we were starting to mean to each other. Somewhere along the way, friendship turned into something more. We went from cashing in parking tickets for ice cream to going on Christmas light dates together in a winter wonderland, from cheering at basketball games and traveling for swim meets to experiencing a Georgia football game side by side. That first summer, we were long-distance. Payton was in California, and I was in Utah, so we spent months counting down the days until we could be together again. That first trip to visit him in California after months apart was the best feeling ever. Since then, life has been full of adventures. Payton taught me new games; we attended work parties, fancy dinners, concerts, beach days, family game nights, and somehow watched more movies than I’ve ever watched in my entire life. We’ve traveled, made new traditions, and learned so much about each other. Looking back, it’s crazy to think that what started as a joke turned into the best thing that’s ever happened to us. Every little moment led us here, and I wouldn’t change a single thing. I am so grateful for the past 18 months and even more excited for forever.