Anna and Alex met first met in college at Dickinson in 2013. A mutual friend, Simeon, introduced them and was the perfect wingman. More interested in her studies than a date, Anna was ambivalent at first, but Alex persisted. He'd show up to her dorm to do homework next to her, keep her company in the library late in to the night, and deliver her food if she missed a meal. They were dating before she even realized it, perhaps because the two--both libras, both INFJs, both middle child perfectionists--were a natural pair.

After finishing at Dickinson, Alex went on to Missouri to complete his military police training, followed by a stint in Allentown, Pennsylvania where he worked as a transcranial magnetic stimulation technician while Anna moved to New Haven, Connecticut to pursue a teaching fellowship. They visited each other on the weekends, treating each other to some of their favorite spots and supporting each other through the highs and lows of adulting on their own. Long distance wasn't new to the couple--they both would travel 7+ hours to see each other over summer break, and they spent a semester abroad in different countries during their junior year of college--but living apart during this period made it clear that their time together was precious, and nowhere felt like home if they weren't together.

In 2019, the stars aligned as Anna graduated from her fellowship program with a Masters in Education and accepted a full time teaching position in New Haven while Alex was admitted into a graduate program at the University of New Haven. That summer, Alex made the move to Connecticut and they settled into their first apartment in Wooster Square.

In New Haven, they made a home with their cat Monty and soon adopted their dog Val. After work, they'd walk Val to the local dog park and the whole neighborhood would smell like New Haven's world famous pizza. On the weekends, they'd travel down to New Jersey to share in Alex's passion for cars, or simply hang by his parents' pool with his nieces. During the pandemic, they quarantined together, got covid together, kept each other sane. They like to think it's a testament to their compatibility and relationship that after so much time apart, and then so much time together, that they never once got sick of one another. If anything, the experience brought them closer.

In 2021, Alex graduated from the University of New Haven with a Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and began his career as a project manager at a series of tech firms.

About a year later, Alex popped the question on a sunny November afternoon while out walking in the woods with Val. Afterwards they celebrated with a slice of their favorite New Haven pizza from Sally's.

Now, they spend their free time going out for pizza, binging HBO shows (shout out Succession, #TeamRoman), sitting on the couch battling through Hyrule, and enjoying their local trails with Val.

This June, the couple is excited to be celebrating 10 years together and is thrilled to be toasting with you all to many, many more happy years together.