Stay in school, kids, you might just meet your wife! Rach and I met in college. Our extracurricular groups were friends, and so we crushed PRETTY hard on each other from afar. For all you old folks out there, when I say "crushed pretty hard," I mean that I was terrified to talk to Rachel because she was very much out of my league and I wasn't actually sure she knew I existed. Everything changed on my 21st birthday when the gorgeous tap-dancing girl showed up to my party. Rach said hi and happy birthday, and I very smoothly mumbled into my drink. Luckily, one of my roommates suggested that we dance and, to my surprise, Rachel agreed. Who knew that hearts could tap-dance? The problem was that my heart had two left feet. I later mustered up the courage to ask her out as she was leaving the party, and she said yes! But of course, I forgot to actually get her phone number. Thankfully, we solved the phone number debacle. Our first date was at the Jolly Pumpkin where, hilariously, we got the meat-lovers pizza. We were off to the races. I got her cats, Lewis and Clark, to trust and even love me. Our first apartment was a summer sublet where we survived our first test as a couple: a burst sewage pipe that made the basement (and Rachel's stored belongings) smell like the end of Shawshank Redemption. Our first ACTUAL apartment was a beautiful spot that let us play house in Ann Arbor and get a glimpse into our future. Then came the dreaded long-distance stage. With Rach in NYC and me in Boston, this was our true test. But we visited each other every two weeks and we talked all day every day. We didn't miss a beat for two years, and it was here I knew I wanted to marry Rachel. At the end of one of her weekend visits to Boston, I joyfully dropped her off at the train station, smiled and watched her train leave, and then I cried HARD into my hoodie the entire 20 min walk home. "Uh oh," I thought, "I’m in trouble. There's no way I can lose this girl." Thankfully, the feeling was mutual, and Rachel and I were living together again soon enough after that. We spent COVID quarantine in Connecticut where Rachel mastered the art of sourdough bread baking. In a show of true love, Rachel left her favorite place, NYC, to live with me in Boston where we had picnics in the Boston Common and baked our own bagels. They were the best times, but NYC and the people there were always on our minds, and so it was only a matter of time before we moved back there together. And now, with the four of us (cats included) together in NYC, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else with anyone else. Rachel's adventurous spirit expands horizons and helps us take full advantage of everything the city has to offer. Rachel is the kindest and happiest person, and so our life together over the years has been filled with friendship and love. Wherever Rachel goes, joy follows, and I’m so excited to keep experiencing that joy for the rest of our lives. September 20 has been a long time coming, but it's really just the beginning of what’s yet to come. Can't wait. - John