I had just moved to the U.S. — barely two weeks in — when I slid into her DMs on December 29, 2022.Unsure of how to break the ice, my first message to her was, “I am really clumsy in starting conversation. Can you help me out?” That message sparked something special. I even created a WhatsApp group with just the two of us and named it “GXT fam ” insisting it would be our family group chat. It might’ve sounded silly at the time, but in my heart I had this quiet feeling that I had met my wife. Our conversations blossomed, but the reality of distance posed its challenges. Life happened, and sometime in the summer of 2023, we lost touch. But as fate would have it, in February 2024, she reached out to me again, and just like that, it felt like no time had passed. We picked up right where we left off. The months that followed were filled with hours on FaceTime, endless laughter, deep conversations, and late-night calls — some of which we’d fall asleep on together. Though we hadn’t said it out loud yet, we were already in love. In October 2024, we finally met in person — and from that moment, we’ve been inseparable. Since then, we’ve made it a point to spend every important moment and holiday together. Christmas/New Year’s together in Connecticut, Valentine’s Day in Minnesota, Easter in California and most recently, graduation together in May. From a simple DM to forever — we’re not just in love, we’re best friends. And we can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Cheers to love, to commitment, and to building a lifetime of memories together.