You would think two Arizona natives, studying at the same university, in the same degree program, within the same honors college would meet in class at ASU, wouldn’t you? Nope. This love story doesn’t begin in their home state. It begins across the pond in London.

Ashik and Andrea were studying abroad in the summer of 2016. While Ashik was a seasoned traveler, it was Andrea’s first time leaving the country. On the first day there, a group of students were roaming around Kingston - getting a feel for the area. If you know anything about Andrea, you know she is a certified yapper if you get her excited about something. As the students walked around, someone mentioned the board games sitting in the back of the common room. Andrea began chatting about all the board game nights she would have back home with all her friends. A boy asked, “Have you played Catan before?”

Her eyes lit up with mischievous delight, “I’ve played a few times!”

Baily, one of Andrea’s oldest friends, bumped her shoulder while rolling her eyes, “Don’t play innocent,” She warned. “Drea wins every time. The first rule of playing with her is to never let her trade.” All the students laughed. Andrea began going on and on about her strategy while a boy silently listened, interjecting with a few questions and perplexities when she said something he found outrageous . That was the first conversation Andrea and Ashik shared along the streets of London. They chatted about board games and video games for what felt like minutes but was really the entire walk back to the dorms.

The next day class assignments were posted. To Andrea’s annoyance, all her friends were in class B. She sighed and sat down, wondering who she could talk to in class A. While she was a certified yapper, she did tend to be quite shy when outnumbered by people she didn’t know. Everyone in the class rambled on introducing themselves. Many were from large well-known cities like San Deigo, New York, Dallas. Andrea introduced herself, stating she was from a small town called Yuma, Arizona. She went on to say, “Yuma is a farm town. Most people say they don’t know it, but if you’ve driven to San Diego, Mexico or LA, you’ve probably stopped there to get gas and go to McDonalds.”

The class laughed and a familiar voice said, “I’m from another small town in Arizona, Lake Havasu City. You come to my town to vacation for a long weekend and then you leave.” Everyone laughed even harder. Andrea smiled as she looked over her shoulder. There she saw the same boy from the day before. How lucky. She did have a friend in the class.

When it was time to go back to the states, Andrea assumed he would disappear. After all, he seemed like he had so many adventures to go on back home. But before their bags were packed, Ashik brought up seeing each other again. They agreed to meet up to play Pokémon Go at Tempe Town Lake. The same place that Ashik would propose 7 years later.

Since they met 9 years ago, their love story has been filled with laughter, joy and unforgettable moments. They have traveled the world, welcomed two animals into their home, and have built an amazing community of family and friends. Ashik and Andrea are thrilled to begin the next chapter of their lives as husband and wife.

Registry