Though we had met a couple of times previously, it wasn't until sitting next to each other at dinner at Rock House that we started to talk and get to know each other a little bit more. The bummer was I left back to the States the next day and we wouldn't see each other again for six months. However, in January 2023 when we were reunited again, things took off quickly from there. Over the next six months of texting, calling, and being able to occasionally see each other we fell in love easily and quickly. Neither of us could believe how natural and easy it has been since the very beginning. After an "official" first date in June 2023, it wasn't long before Vikram came to meet my family in July. Over the next six months, we traveled back and forth to see each other. The time apart was always difficult but as the saying goes, "absence makes the heart grow fonder." In January 2024, we took a trip to India to meet Vikram's family. During this trip, Vikram proposed to me in Kerala and I said YES! It has been a whirlwind of a year together, but as yet another saying goes, "when you know, you know" and we can't wait to start our lives together. The beginning of forever can't come fast enough!