In the winter of 2016, I felt stuck in a job I didn't really like in a city far from home. It took me a year to convince myself to take a chance on rebuilding my career, and life. In the fall of 2017, I was on the other side of the world, further away from family, but doing something that I didn't hate. It also gave me the opportunity to rediscover myself, make new friends. I connected with a stranger (Emily) through a dating app who was also taking her own chances in rebuilding her career and life. We walked around in Troy Atrium, talking about why we were making such big changes in life. However, by the time the date ended, it felt more like a friendly conversation, than a date. I reached home and found myself unsure if there would be a second. However, I thought, "Meeting strangers and finding a connection right away is hard," and I figured why not take a chance on asking her out again. Luckily for me, Emily still wanted to get to know me. Even though there was a distance of 4 weeks and 7000 miles between our first and second dates.

When I came back from my trip, our relationship took off. I have loved getting to know her more and also opening up to her. I have found we are quite similar people with some differences that complement well. I love how she has warmed up to my family and how well her family has taken me in. I am excited for our future together and am grateful that I took that chance.

In January 2020, I was visiting an out of town friend before my second semester of graduate school. While out to dinner, I received a notification on a dating app that a guy named Saurabh liked my profile. We checked out Saurabh's profile, which revealed shared interests in music, commonalities as graduate students, and his endearing smile. With my friend's encouragement (thank you, Jeff!), I started messaging with Saurabh. After a few days, I accepted Saurabh's invitation to meet at the Troy Farmer's Market. I was nervous, but as soon as we met, I felt at ease. Saurabh was kind, genuine, and a good listener.

Saurabh traveled home to India days after our first date, so it was a month before we could meet again. By the time the pandemic began, we knew we wanted to keep seeing each other. I looked forward to spending time with him every week, whether we were cooking, watching movies, sharing music, playing with cats, or spending time in nature.

Saurabh has continually been a source of laughter and support throughout our relationship, and I am eager to spend our future together!