we're getting married

To set the scene: it was July 2020. State College, PA, had just slightly reopened, and Arts Fest was upon us. I drove to pick up a friend, and into my back seat slid this brunette guy I'd never met. We proceeded to our friend's apartment, and the same brunette guy stood across the kitchen from me. I turned to him, sitting with my friends, and asked, "Hey, you're the only one here I don't know—who are you?" The guy responded, "My name is Trey, and I've got a basketball game tomorrow" (which, if you don't remember, was a popular Vine quote from back then). I laughed and asked for his real name, and he said, Joe. From there, we all went to Champs Downtown, and the night ended. The next night, we were all sitting at a bonfire at another friend's house. Joe and I happened to be sitting next to each other on a picnic table bench. We chatted the whole night until it was time to go. But I knew I'd see him the next night, his last night in State College. The final night of Arts Fest weekend was an in-house poker tournament. I watched between Joe and my friend Kendra because I didn't even know how to play poker. Once we ran out of beer, Joe and I hopped in my car and drove to Sheetz to grab some more. We all stayed up way past our bedtimes, knowing it was most of our friends' last nights in our college town. The next morning, I went to help my friend pack up his apartment, which also happened to be where Joe was staying. He sat in bed (while I sat on the floor) and showed me these hilarious YouTube videos from Sam O'Nella (look him up; he's great!). When it was finally time to say goodbye, we exchanged Snapchats, and I watched his car drive away. We talked every day from that point on without skipping a beat! We had our first official date a month later in Sea Isle City, NJ. We visited each other's hometowns, and on September 19, 2020, I asked Joe to be my boyfriend while heavily intoxicated (LOL)—and he said yes! My mom didn't think she would ever see him again, but here we are over four years later, ready to get hitched!

In July 2020, a friend asked if I could help him move out of his apartment at school. Since the semester had ended abruptly due to COVID, it felt like a good opportunity to visit Penn State one last time and say goodbye to some friends I might not see for years. Others had the same idea. I first arrived at another friend’s apartment, where I met Erica for the first time. We struck up a conversation about how we knew everyone and exchanged some lighthearted jokes. As the weekend continued, I found myself talking to her more and more each day, to the point where I forgot other people were even around us. Her energy was captivating, and I felt a real connection. We spent the last morning watching silly YouTube videos and laughing until it was time to leave. We exchanged numbers to keep in touch. A month later, we were in Sea Isle City for a beach trip with friends. Once again, it felt like most of my time was spent talking to her. Her eyes and smile drew me in more and more. We decided to stay longer than the rest of the group so we could play mini golf (where I smoked her) and get ice cream. We drove back to Philly, and she left to see her family soon after. Not long after, we went on a few dates in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, meeting each other’s families. On one date, Erica showed me Asbury Park for the first time. We went to a few restaurants, and after a few glasses of wine, Erica asked me to be her boyfriend. I was caught off guard at first because I had planned to ask her the same thing (this is how she’s finding that out, too). After a few hours and a lot of water, I drove Erica home and brought her inside, where she immediately fell asleep. I’m pretty sure Anne thought she would never see me again after that night, but little did she know, I couldn’t get enough of Erica. Erica then moved to DC for a job opportunity. It was hard not being able to see each other frequently, but we never stopped talking. We’d visit each other almost every weekend until I got a fully remote job, and we could spend a week at a time together. Then, I finally received a job offer from a company based in Maryland, and we moved in together. Moving away from everyone was difficult, but being able to spend every day with her was worth it.