Our story begins in the fall of 2021, in Sackville New Brunswick where Graeme had invited Ruthie for coffee. At first glance, we seemed like complete opposites. An artistic “Goody two shoes” with a small circle of friends and a charismatic jock passionate about Mounties football. Yet, casual dates grew into a friendship sparked by similar values and aspirations. As we spent more time together, undergraduate parties and dancing evolved into paint nights accompanied by long talks about everything. These turned into deeper realizations- that we shared the same values around family and a vision for the life we wanted ahead. Through those conversations, we grew to admire the qualities we saw in each other. Graeme admired Ruthie’s ....; Ruthie admired his pursuit of knowledge and his discipline when working towards his goals. By the end of the second semester, Graeme and Ruthie spent every weekend together, laughing and chatting about everything from our earliest memories to our...., we were smitten. During one snowy walk, Graeme shared that he had accepted his offer to pursue Law School in Toronto. They shared feelings of both excitement and uncertainty about what lay ahead. That summer Ruthie went on exchange to the Netherlands while Graeme fought forest fires in Northern Ontario. Despite the distance they stayed in contact almost everyday. When Ruthie returned, she travelled to London, Ontario to tour potential Graduate schools. Graeme drove 7 hours to visit her. The following 36 hours together included a trip to the Stratford Festival for a showing of the musical Chicago. On a late night walk through the city Graeme identified each species of tree they passed. It was in this moment, Ruthie discovered Graeme’s love of nature and the outdoors. By the end of it, one thing was clear: the partnership built was the foundation of something deeper-a friendship that could become a lifelong partnership. We soon entered long-distance, a stretch that lasted ~3.5 years. Though challenging, we look back on that period with fondness and awe—still amazed at the ways we found to hold each other close across the miles. It became the ultimate proof of our commitment. We built small rituals to love each other in new ways: taking transportation back and fourth and Graeme’s 7 hour drives from Sudbury to Kingston to spend 24 hours together. In those years apart, we also learned to give each other space to grow—nurturing hobbies and supporting each other’s sense of identity, knowing that our individuality only made us stronger together. Since then, we’ve traveled the world, indulged in endless food adventures, become dog parents. Through it all, we’ve grown as partners and best friends—rooted in the same balance we’ve carried from the very beginning: a love that encourages who we are individually, and celebrates who we are together.