Tyler and I swam throughout grade school and high school. We met sophomore year of high school through mutual friends on our club swim team. It wasn't until senior year of high school, however, that we became close friends. We practiced in the same lane at least four times a week, hung out together after swim meets on the weekend, and before we knew it, we started to develop feelings for one another. We went to each other’s senior proms, and once our swimming season was over, I would drive to the Cameron’s house at least once a week to sit on the front step after visiting my Mom-Mom who lived close by. Who broke the ice first? Tyler. He first told me he had feelings for me through a [beautiful] letter he wrote me for one of my high school religious trips (Kairos). I was so nervous to admit that I liked him too, so when I called him back to thank him for his letter, I completely ignored everything he wrote...and our close friendship continued. A few weeks later, Tyler and I went out to lunch and I just knew that afterwards he was going to officially ask me to be his girlfriend before he moved down the shore for the summer. Once again, I was so nervous to take the next step, so after we paid the bill, I denied his request to go for a walk along the riverfront and said I had plans to hangout with a friend instead, and that I needed to go home right away (I did have plans!). Eventually, I knew that I had to admit that I liked Tyler way more than just close friends. We started dating the end of May 2011, and have been together even since.

Months before our Italy trip I had decided I was going to propose to Grace in Cinque Terre, and I had scheduled a photographer to capture the moment because it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I emailed back and forth with an Italian photographer and decided that on Friday, April 26 at 6pm we were going to meet for a photo-shoot, where the photographer would give the cue and I would propose. Fast forward to the morning on our train into Cinque Terre. I was mentally prepared to propose that night. Then, I get an email from the photographer, distressed by the weather forecast which called for a storm and thus postponing the photo shoot until Sunday morning. I was crushed. When the sun came back out around 4 pm, we were strolling through Manarola and I was frantically emailing the photographer to see if it was possible to still have the shoot that night. He couldn’t accommodate, but I decided that I was still going to propose anyway. Once we were back in the Airbnb and Grace was getting ready in the bathroom, I hid the ring in a cabinet and started testing how I would set up my phone to capture the moment. Once we were both dressed for dinner, we started drinking wine and listening to music on the balcony. I still had no idea how I was going to approach it but I knew I had to improvise. When we started taking pictures, I realized this was my chance. So I put my iPhone on a timer, pulled the ring out of the cabinet, and walked onto the balcony. Grace was thankfully turned around, so she didn’t see what I had in my hand. I said, “Grace” and she turned around and at that moment I proposed. She stood there in shock and didn’t answer for what felt like hours. When she finally said, "Yes!", we both cried and laughed as we stood there on the balcony. Everything worked out in the end and it couldn’t have been more perfect. We finished our stay in Cinque Terre with an engagement photo-shoot throughout Manarola with Christiano of Facibeni Fotografia.