After a few months of excuses, Alyssa agreed to go on a date with Nick in August of 2020. They bonded over a shared love of hockey at Grasshopper in Morristown before heading off to respective graduate school programs at Lehigh and Boston College. Despite the distance and the challenges of the post COVID world, they continued to talk every single day. Nick finally made it out to Pennsylvania to visit Alyssa in February 2021 and they picked up right where they left off. They planned to meet up again the next time Nick came home, with Nick promising to teach Alyssa to ski. The skiing date is ended with a slight hiccup, with Alyssa winding up on crutches with a torn MCL. Nick, who thought he’d never see Alyssa again after that, was pleasantly relieved when they continued to see each other over breaks and at the end of their semesters. Nick (finally) asked Alyssa to be his girlfriend in June 2021, and they have been inseparable ever since.

Nick and Alyssa spent the next two years traveling between Boston, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to visit each other as much as possible. While it was always sad to say goodbye, the time together was beyond worth it. From Boston excursions (seeing her brother at every Boston trip was an added perk) to weekends at the Jersey Shore to sporting events of all kinds, Nick and Alyssa always had so much fun together.

Nick and Alyssa supported each other through tough years of law school and graduate school respectively. Coupled with the end of long distance, the two were beyond thrilled to stand by each other’s side at graduation in May 2023. This marked not only the next phase of their lives, but a move back to New Jersey meant that they were now living a mere 25 minutes away from each other. Alyssa and Nick navigated the first years of their careers as a school psychologist and law clerk together and still managed to have some fun too. They traveled to friends’ weddings, spent summer weekends in LBI, and of course, went to more hockey games.

Alyssa and Nick’s first year in NJ culminated in a two week trip to Italy to explore la patria and visit family. Although Alyssa insisted they would not be getting engaged on that trip, she never would have guessed it would happen shortly after they returned back home.

Nick popped the question on September 14, 2024 at the park right down the street from Alyssa’s shore house in LBI. Despite Alyssa repeatedly asking Nick when he would propose to her, she was beyond shocked when it happened. Nick pulled off the ultimate surprise with the help of his sister, who got Alyssa down the shore under the guise of a cardboard boat race, and took the beautiful pictures from the day. Alyssa and Nick got right to wedding planning, and can’t wait to celebrate with all of their family and friends in August!