We met all the way back as sophomores in high school chemistry class. We had assigned seats based on alphabetical order, and there was no one between Switek and Ventura. I thought Noah was sweet but a little quiet, and Noah thought I had a lot to say at all times. Throughout high school, we were in the same lunch group and stayed within each other's circles. At one point, I even made a sign to cheer Noah on at one of his swim meets. Noah and I ended up taking our first photo together that day. But don't worry, we were still very much "just friends". 2017 Fast forward to the summer after freshman year of college, Noah and I were both quite single and giving each other dating advice. By mid-summer, we figured out we were actually into each other but didn’t know if dating was the best next step given that Noah was in Boston at Northeastern and I was in College Station at Texas A&M. We decided to ignore all of it and just enjoyed the rest of the summer together. When the end of summer finally came around, we decided to do the long-distance thing. We thought, “how hard can it really be?”. So Noah went back to Boston and I went back to College Station. I won’t lie, at first, it really sucked. Long distance (1,860 miles) is not fun. However we did find a way to make it work. We made the distance less painful with letters, care packages, and a lot of cookie deliveries. From that point on, we never really looked back. I graduated from Texas A&M in Fall 2019 and only looked for jobs in Boston (sorry Mom & Dad). I secured a job and an apartment and moved to Boston in March of 2020. The long distance finally ended, and we got to enjoy being nearby. After knowing each other for over a decade and dating for 6 of those years, Noah can still be a bit quiet, and I definitely still talk a little too much. Some things don’t change but thank goodness that some things do! If not, we would never be here, getting ready to celebrate the start of our marriage with all of you!

The day of the proposal was by far the best day of our lives. It all started with a classic New England beach day. Our friends were visiting from out of town and we spent a carefree morning swimming, watching seals, and recording videos of our day. We then returned to the Airbnb and got ready for what I promised was just a nice dinner. In the car, Cristina could feel that something special was about to happen despite my best efforts. My heart was racing throughout the drive and my nerves were starting to kick in. I had made a proposal-themed playlist for the drive and Cristina started to cry as all the songs about rings, gold, diamonds, and love only confirmed her suspicions. A lighthouse came into view and the excitement continued to build. We parked the car and I suggested we look at the lighthouse since Cristina and I have a goal to see every major lighthouse in the Northeast. With my heart pounding and hands shaking trying to hide the ring box from her, I asked Cristina to walk down to the beach with me to catch the sunset. We took the sandy path down and walked towards a sign saying “Will you marry me?”. When we got close enough, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She gave an emotional “Yes!”, and we were engaged! The moments around the proposal are a blur for both of us, but it will be a moment that we will cherish forever. We started the celebration with a charcuterie picnic and toast on the beach. We took photos, called our families, and watched a beautiful sunset next to Nobska Lighthouse. Since our dinner reservation was just a ruse, we ended the night the best way possible: we picked up some pizza and watched Cristina’s favorite movie, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. We truly had a day filled with fun, laughter, and joy. It was the perfect way to start the rest of our lives.