We had worked together for about a year before we actually met. Some mutual friends had a gathering before a staff party and sparks flew. We spent the whole day sneaking peeks at each other, and hoping for more time together. After the staff party, Max asked me for my number, and the rest is history. We spent more time that night hanging out with more friends. Then we spent 12 hours the next day hanging out, and the day after that, and the day after that. After a week, I declared, "by the way, we're dating now" and Max agreed.

From day one of the relationship, I had warned that I was moving away for college. Max was always a big supporter of this, and was open minded in the relationship. I chose University of Wisconsin Oshkosh for its amazing Radio-Tv-Film program and convinced Max to tour the school too. Turns out they had a program for Computer Science too, and it was one of the top ranked schools in the state of Wisconsin!

We always knew we wanted to move after we graduated college. We dreamed of Los Angeles, but after scoping out job opportunities for Max, and comparing the cost of living, we decided to keep our options open. Max had suggested Austin, Texas but it took some convincing to get me to give it a chance. Luckily, one trip was all it took. The first day we got to Austin, we signed a lease. The small town vibes in the big city felt perfect for us. The lack of snow and constant sunshine was big perk as well.

We quickly decided Austin would be a more permanent move, and decided to start looking at houses. Although it was a little far out of the city, we found a neighborhood being built that hit our checklist. In January, we bought a piece of dirt, and started construction on our home. This home will be where our first years of marriage take place, and the process was a big step in our relationship.

Our 8 year anniversary of dating was supposed to be pretty low-key in 2020 for several reasons. Covid-19 being the main reason, but also, I was getting Lasik two days later, and was in intense training at work for a job promotion. Max surprised me on Friday with lunch. Turns out he was planning to propose in front of the Eiffel tower, but when our Europe trip got cancelled, he decided he couldn't wait anymore. The day he picked up the ring, he proposed. He did it in front of an Iconic Austin landmark, The Pennybacker Bridge. It was uncharacteristically empty, and the perfect day.