Not until later in our relationship did we realize that we both caught each other's attention before ever speaking a word to each other. For me, it was a cute barista at the our university's Starbucks café. For Nina it was a guy in a brown leather jacket who briefly passed by the café. It is crazy to say we might not have talked to each other if it wasn't for my friend. She told Nina, "My friend thinks you're cute, but he didn't want to say anything. Do you want me to hook you guys up? I can do that". Thanks to her a snowball was formed. It rolled and rolled into a deep and exciting relationship. We connected over music to the point where going to concerts was our usual go-to for special date nights. We connected in such a way that we both knew we found the real deal, that this was the relationship that would begin the rest of our lives.

For spring break we decided to take our biggest trip yet! We planned a backpacking adventure across Ireland. We were so excited to see amazing sites, beautiful sceneries and hopefully meet many wonderful people. Thankfully we were able to do all those things. And even though the weather was colder than expected, we were able to enjoy many of Ireland's hillsides and forests - especially Wicklow national park. Little did Nina know that I had to sneak a ring through security at airports and keep her from finding it in my backpack or jacket many times. The night before the proposal we found the perfect location near a lake. The next morning I worked up the courage to get on my knee, and ask her to marry me. I choked on my words but managed to tell her I want to keep the adventure going. She said yes, and that day will remain vivid in my mind for the rest of my life.