We're Getting Married!

In the words of Sussy: We met on "the bridge" on the way back to the dorms after a recruiting event during our last year at Penn. We were introduced to each other by our mutual friend/now bridesmaid Jenny! After Jenny connected us on gchat, I convinced Austin to be my gym buddy (but only 2 times) and watch the Bachelor (!) with me. Thus our story began. As we spent more time together, I was instantly intrigued - yet confused - by Austin's unique abilities and interests: His keen eye is able to identify any car (brand and model) from just a single glance, and his love for cars led us to multiple auto shows across various cities. His special ability as an incredible deal-hunter / super saver has helped us save hundreds of dollars (though he would probably claim thousands). It's not everyday that a person gets a letter from CVS congratulating them on being a top-tier saver - top 6% to be exact. As an avid cruiser - quite unique for his age/demographic - Austin watches cruise videos in his free time and convinced me to go on a cruise. Now, I can say that we are indeed both avid cruisers. Such unique interests do not stop here, but I will spare you the details now and tell you in person at our wedding! Ever since that night we met, we've been inseparable - following each other from Philly to NYC to Chicago to Boston and back to Chicago again. Some say we have been incredibly lucky, being able to always move together across those major cities. We'd like to think it was meant to be ;)

In the words of Austin: It was a cold, snowy Chicago winter when I realized that I had to lock down Sussy ASAP. Even though I was (am) extremely charming, I knew Sussy was herself quite the catch. So I went to work planning. The proposal had to involve key aspects important to Sussy - everything from the all-important ring, to a surprise trip, to great food and her best friend. The morning of December 9, 2016, we woke up and jumped into an Uber. The surprise of where we were heading was short-lived, as the driver said "Going to Adler Planetarium, right?" Right. Once we got to the Planetarium, I suggested we take a stroll closer to the water. Because that's totally normal when it's cold and snowy outside. While we walked along the water, I clandestinely texted the anonymous "guest" to ensure all things were in order. Once everything was in place, I gave Sussy a long-winded speech and finally got down on one knee, asking her "will you marry me?" She had a few tears (though I wasn’t entirely sure if it was from my moving speech or from the wind chill). Luckily for me, she said yes! As we started walking, Sussy's best friend/maid of honor Dot suddenly appeared! She had been hiding behind a slab of concrete, secretly taking pictures. Poor Dot had flown in very early that morning and had been hiding in the cold for quite a while (luckily she had gloves?). Sussy was definitely pleasantly surprised. After the proposal, we went to Roister for lunch and I revealed that we were in fact leaving the very next day to go on a cruise aboard the 2nd largest ship in the world, Allure of the Seas.