This took us four months to finalize. Please enjoy.

Our story began in a college dorm at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We met during freshman year when Gabrielle happened upon a tall, cute guy in a backwards baseball cap lugging a load of laundry down the hallway. Alex, completely oblivious to the significance of the moment, was just trying his best not to shrink too many of his clothes.

Although we spent a lot of time together during our years at UW-Madison, timing was never on our side. Our college years consisted of shared friend groups, football games, bonfires, and more than a few competitive game nights. For a brief moment, it appeared we would become a couple, but with Gabrielle studying abroad in Barcelona our sophomore year, things never quite worked out. While life took us on separate paths after college, we happened upon each other in a similar circumstance to our initial meeting: by pure coincidence. We saw one another at the Madison Farmers Market in the spring of 2021, after which Gabrielle decided to take matters into her own hands and ask Alex out for a beer.

Gabrielle made the first bold move and a series of dates and “hanging out” followed that spring before Gabrielle embarked on a weeks long national parks road trip out west. Alex, finally realizing the significance of the moment, made the second bold move and invited Gabrielle to his brother's wedding (shoutout to Patrick and Rachel for letting me add a plus one a little late 😊). Gabrielle introduced herself to the entire Cooney family as Alex’s “date” while Alex was known as Gabrielle’s “special friend” to the Eull side. Once Alex became aware of the term, we officially became a couple.

After we started dating (none of this “date” and “special friend” bullshit), we began becoming best friends, cooking together, competing in card games, embracing our everyday routines, and falling in love. We navigated professional pursuits that led to living long distance for a year. Gabrielle moved to Maryland for her child life internship and then to Minnesota to start her career, while Alex completed his Masters of Nursing in Wisconsin. Despite the distance, we prioritized traveling together. We spent time lounging on the beaches of Marco Island, walking miles in San Francisco, hiking through various national parks, and camping in every season but winter.

When our arbitrary two year anniversary came around (see above for explanation), we planned a special night out in Minneapolis. Unbeknownst to Gabrielle, Alex was carrying a ring in his pocket. While reminiscing about the past two years atop the Stone Arch Bridge, Alex asked a simple and significant question: “Will you marry me?” Since you are reading this, you can probably guess the answer.

All of this leads us to our current box score: 7 years, 2 continents, 8 states, 20 households, and a whole lot of life left together.