On the vast reaches of the internet, one can find many things. GIFs of Nicolas Cage doing Nicolas Cage things; Yelp reviews for the best gas station Sushi in the tristate; and, the reason why you're here reading this passage -- love. A new transplant to our nation's capital in the fall of 2015, Brian fast-tracked his search for romance by jumping on the dating app bandwagon. With a little help from Hinge and a few swipes right, he met his match, Sara. With palms sweaty, knees weak, and arms heavy, Brian sent his opening salvo knowing he only had one shot, one opportunity. His exact words are lost to Cupid, but a reference to their Big 10 alma maters was made, catching Sara's attention. A few weeks of back and forth later, they arranged their first date. Dinner. 8:30pm. The Hamilton on 14th. Thirty minutes into the reservation they still hadn't ordered drinks. They hadn't even looked at the menu, eyes immovable from the person sitting across the table. After repeated attempts by an increasingly annoyed waitress to wrangle an order out of them, they relented. Game of Thrones dominated the conversation when favorite IU or PSU memories weren't being told. A two-hour reservation ballooned into an all night affair as dinner transitioned into late-night jazz and dancing at the upstairs bar. Even though the night was already much longer than planned, closing time still came too soon. Now, Brian and Sara are proof that Hinge really is "the dating app designed to be deleted."

When in New York, do as the New Yorkers do they say. Knowing hiding a ring in a BEC bagel from the corner bodega would be a non-starter, Brian settled for the next best thing -- a proposal in iconic Central Park. The plan (as Sara thought it to be) was to spend the afternoon at the Central Park Zoo with some of Brian's classmates from Columbia. The tickets were supposedly for a specific entry time, so it was important to stay on schedule. The real plan, however, was to walk towards the Zoo by way of Bethesda Terrace, whose fountain was the chosen backdrop for the occasion. As they neared the plaza, Brian couldn't hide the grin on his face. He took Sara by the hand, steered her towards the water, and got down on one knee. He asked the question. She said yes. The rest of the day was full of celebration. After immediately FaceTiming their families to share the news, they headed to the Pier 17 rooftop to fete with friends, flanked by the Brooklyn Bridge on one side and lower Manhattan on the other. It was a day to remember in a year unlike any other.