I didn't do so well in chemistry the first time around in college, so I had to retake it. Guess it was meant to be, though, because Jason was the TA (teaching assistant) to my small-group discussion section. I didn't think much of him at first - I thought he was a little strict and a bit of a hard-ass as a teacher. But I thought he was kind of cute, so after the class was over for the quarter, I struck up a conversation with him, and we kept in touch over the summer. We realized we had a lot in common and really enjoyed being around each other.

On our fourth anniversary, we went on a hike in Big Basin Redwoods state park near Santa Cruz. The trail we took was called Buzzards Roost, which led up to the peak overlooking the basin itself. As we got to the top, I stood near the edge looking out and taking it all in. When I turned around, he was down on one knee holding the ring.

Weekdays are filled with work - Jason works for the Department of Energy lab in Berkeley studying solar cell physics and chemistry, and Alyssa works for the Hobbs biogeochemistry and fish ecology lab at UC Davis studying endangered Longfin Smelt. Jason likes to ride his motorcycle to work and around the reservoir near our house. Alyssa likes volunteer scuba diving at California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. We love making dinner together and talking about what went on at the end of the day. We cuddle with our cat, Noah, and watch a little TV (Game of Thrones, Westworld, Last Week Tonight, comedians) before heading to bed. Weekends are filled with home improvement and outdoor adventures - we're working on our backyard to put in a retaining wall at the bottom of the hill and to put in a patio with a barbecue and fire pit. We love hiking and exploring nature areas, especially down in the Santa Cruz area, hanging out with friends, going to the beach, and just spending every moment we can with each other.