Amanda and I met in 2012, when she joined the handbell group. She would continually try to make small talk, asking me for a pencil or inquiring about my recently broken foot, to which I would shyly give her a one word answer while avoiding eye contact since I felt she was out of my league. After getting my email from the handbell mailing list, we started communicating via email about different events going on in Milwaukee or topics we were interested in (although I nearly ignored her initial email because I thought that "Amanda Smith" sounded like it could be a fake email, lol). Around that Christmas, a couple from church were having a young adults group event at their house, and we made plans to meet there. Too nervous to talk to her all that much in person during the event, I made conversation with just about everyone else attending. She later told me that she pretty much wrote me off after that night, feeling I wasn't interested in her. We kept talking at handbells and started to wait for each other to walk back to our cars together on Monday nights. I was soon able to work my nerves up and asked her out to dinners and activities around Milwaukee, where we got much closer and started dating in the spring. Shortly after this is when she got her first opportunity with the Library of Congress and we maintained a relationship that grew in strength over the years she was in DC. With the aid of video chat, flights for holidays and phone calls, we were able to develop a strong bond and maintain a loving relationship. One day, I decided to surprise her as she was returning to DC from a work trip. After sneaking up and popping the question to her in the airport, we started to plan our life together. Amanda chose to return to Milwaukee and took up a job as a Director of Education with the Wisconsin Music conservatory. We live happily with our two cats, Big and Little, and are excited to continue our life adventure together.