At the end of my orientation day at The University of Akron, I went to get a tour of my classes from an orientation leader. After telling me multiple times that she has never even been in the engineering buildings, Cassidy reluctantly agreed to give me a tour. We spent a half hour getting lost in the hallways and I never actually got to see one of my engineering classrooms, but I did get to spend all this time with a beautiful girl that I’d eventually be marrying. At the time she did not get any flirting signals partly due to my frosted blonde tips and most likely too tight jeans.

Later that semester, we matched on Tinder and I struck out again after asking for her Snapchat instead of her phone number (apparently a “freshman” move) and she ghosted me. That same freshman year I joined the cheer team. Needing a stunt partner, I happened to know just the person to ask. With Covid happening at the end of that spring semester, Cassidy was left with a bunch of free time and no excuses but to try out cheer again. We did become stunt partners and quickly after more than that. We spent most of that year together 24/7 even having to quarantine together for 2 weeks with Covid in her childhood bedroom over Thanksgiving break.

Following that school year, Cassidy graduated and we did long distance for years until I finally graduated and kept my promise that I would propose after school. After being apart for so long, I have an immense appreciation for the mundane. Whether it’s chores, walking our dog, or returning clothes from online shopping I am so grateful to be doing it for the rest of my life with Cassidy.

Cassidy will tell you I played hard to get but something told me she was always the one who I was meant to get a tour from.