'Twas the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. In honor of the greatest weekend of the year (and soon to be one of the greatest weekends of his life), Matt hosted a viewing party at his State College apartment, with four monitors, ample sustenance, completed but ultimately doomed playoff brackets, and plenty of friends. Kate was invited by Camille to join in the evening festivities and provide a buffer from basketball talk. Although initially hesitant -- Kate knew nothing about basketball -- Kate thought it would be fun to at least enjoy the party food. When Kate sat down next to Matt on the worn old couch in front of the television, they found themselves chatting easily, and the evening passed by in a flash as they discussed all the important topics, from the merits of Kate's bracket picks (Kate had never filled one out before) to the best food to cook for guests.

It was sunset on the day before Matt's 30th birthday. We decided to go out for drinks at our favorite State College bar, Champs. Matt wanted to take a detour on our walk through the arboretum at Penn State. We strolled through the arboretum and started casually discussing topics like all of the big moments that we had been there for for many of our friends and loved ones. Matt diverged from the path, and started walking on the grass. Kate thought this was weird, and asked what he was doing. He said it "felt better on his footsies". The sun was setting. Matt got down on one knee and told Kate that it was time to make our own moment. He asked Kate to marry him. She was completely shocked and had no idea what was going on! She said yes, of course!

Before we got engaged, we decided to explore Europe for a couple of years while Matt completes a position as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Utrecht University. This means that we are planning our wedding from abroad. If you want to read more about our experiences abroad, as well as our wedding planning, check out our blog! https://kateandmattseuropeansaga.wordpress.com