We’re getting married!!

Let’s set the scene. It was 2011 at Oconomowoc High School. I was a freshman, awkward, braces and all, and Aaron was a senior, effortlessly cool and completely out of my league. All my friends knew he was my senior crush, and apparently, so did he… thanks to my brother, Canton! I’d see Aaron in the hallways sometimes, and on the rare occasion he’d wave at me, I’d turn into a giddy mess. One night at a softball team dinner, my teammates dared me to add him on Snapchat. So, I did, and to my shock, he added me back. I sent him a snap, and he even replied… but I was too nervous to open it. So I never did. By the end of that school year, Aaron graduated and went off to the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, while I continued on with high school. Years later, after I graduated, I noticed he’d started replying to some of my Snapchat stories. We’d chat here and there, nothing serious, just friendly conversation that always made me smile. When I started college at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, Aaron was still at Oshkosh. Early that fall, I was planning a trip to visit my friend Hannah there, and I mentioned it to him. He asked if I wanted to grab dinner or breakfast while I was in town. Of course, I said yes, though I didn’t actually think he’d follow through. But to my surprise, he did. When I got to Oshkosh, Aaron took me out to the most romantic restaurant of all, Buffalo Wild Wings. Honestly, it didn’t matter where we went, I was just thrilled to be spending time with him. We ended up spending most of that weekend together… and eight years later, we still haven’t looked back! There’s no way my freshman-year self would ever believe this story!