Jared and I met through some of our closest friends on New Years Eve of 2017. Being the only two singles in a group of couples, we sat next to each other at Red Robin when meeting our friends for dinner. We instantly hit it off, making jokes and sharing glances. Then we went our separate ways for different New Years parties. The following day, I found myself stranded in Ann Arbor, without a ride home. Jared, who I had been texting constantly since we met, offered to give me a ride home. Though I was hesitant to accept a ride from a guy I just met, I knew he and Alice had been friends for years, and I could tell he was a nice guy, so I accepted. My small-talk nervousness instantly melted away, and we had the silliest and most open conversation I've ever had. A few months later, he confessed that he had feelings for me. I was dating someone at the time, but I knew I had feelings for him as well. Shortly after breaking things off with the other guy, Jared invited me to his friends' wedding, and I graciously accepted. We spent the night goofing around, dancing, and having an incredible time together. Then, on May 16th, we officially had our first date. We went to Panera (because why not?) then went to Island Park in Ann Arbor. We walked through the park only to realize it had flooded. Regardless, we continued to walk through the park until we found a gorgeous little gazebo, with water flowing up to the steps. We sat down, and talked about anything and everything for hours. I knew I loved him then, but little did I know that a year and a half later, he would propose at that exact same spot.

We begin on New Years Eve 2017. I decided to join my friends at Red Robin for a New Years Eve "feast" and right when I walked in there she was! At the time, I was just excited to meet someone new, but then we started talking and I just knew something was different about this girl. Eventually, we had to part ways to go to separate parties (even though I tried to convince her to come to ours). The next morning I had the overwhelming urge to message her on Facebook. I soon found out that she was stuck in Ann Arbor and like a knight in shining armor I quickly offered my services. Now, the biggest challenge was not the driving, but the small talk. So, I did what any sane person would do... I talked about a random sloth shirt that one of my best friends had gotten me for Christmas. Needless to say we talked about that shirt for the whole 40 minute drive. Shortly after this destined encounter, I knew that I needed to confess my feelings for her. Sad to say she had started seeing someone, but I knew I could not give up. Even though I told her how I felt and thought I made our friendship awkward, we continued to talked every day for 3 months. Eventually, she came to her senses, broke up with the guy, and I saw my chance! I invited her to my friend's wedding a week before the ceremony (#WingmanOfTheYear) and we had a BLAST! We then had an extremely memorable first date at a flooded park where we talked for hours. From there our relationship bloomed and we continue to share unforgettable experiences with each other.