On their first encounter

Emily: This was our very first picture. I remember it was about a week after we met in September, 2015- we might have been in our 2nd or 3rd Spanish class. We always went to Pergamino, this cute coffee shop in Poblado. Sindy had asked me if we could take that photo- she was also new to the city and wanted to promote her Spanish classes. I said yes, of course. About two weeks later she put it as her Whataspp Profile Picture. I almost died. I remember telling one of my friends, ¨This is a sign!¨

Sindy: I honestly took the picture with Emily because she seemed really open and I thought she would be happy to do it for me. I'm really glad we still have this photo-even though it´s a screenshot, because it is a remembrance of our first connection. You can see it in our faces- it´s too obvious. And I made it my profile picture because Emily was my favorite student… and she ended up being my favorite person. Who knew? Jaja Probably us.

When they started dating

Emily: It was Sindy´s birthday- well, actually two days before her birthday. December 17th, 2016. I remember the day vividly- I had just bought my first road bike and I was practicing riding in the parking garage of my apartment building. One of my co-workers who lived there saw me and hung out for a while. She asked if I was excited to be on winter break. I said- yes, I'm excited and really nervous. When she asked why, I responded: ¨I think I´m gonna kiss the girl I´ve had a crush on for the past year and half, tonight.¨

Sindy: I knew something was gonna happen- I wasn´t sure what, but I knew something. I was so excited to see her. Other friends were there, but I was so excited to see Ems. I wanted to laugh with her and hang out with her.

Emily: I´m literally horrible at making the first move. As you can see from the photo, I thought swapping one of our shoes was the way to her heart.

Sindy: I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that she was wearing one of my heels. Jaja. Later that night, I asked one of my friends, Fiona, if I should kiss her and she said, ¨Yeah, go for it!¨

Emily: The rest is history… jaja

When they got engaged

Sindy: It was the most beautiful place I´ve ever seen in my entire life. I was so mad at her…

Emily: jajajaja. It was about two weeks before the whole world shut down for Covid 19. I had gone to this amazing thermal hot springs the previous Thanksgiving with a few of my biking buddies and I had thought: this is where I´m gonna propose!

Sindy: She took me on a ¨camping trip¨ that turned into a two day road trip on a moto to a mystery camping site.

Emily: It was supposed to be a suprise! Jaja

Sindy: We had been driving for two days on an open road, and then we hit a paramo 4000 meters above sea level. And the first thing she asked me when we arrived, (the last hour having been in a rainstorm), was if I wanted to go for a hike. I was gonna kill her.

Emily: I mean, it was still raining, so I could kind of see her point…

Sindy: I went with the flow, because I always go with the flow with Emily.

Emily: And?

Sindy: Well, I was in shock. I was angry, happy, confused, cold… I thought it was the most beautiful place in the world. The rocks behind the waterfall were covered in moss- she knows that I love moss.

Emily: I was so nervous.

Sindy: I thought she fell, but she was getting down on her knee. She looked very nervous, and I thought she was the prettiest person ever. I felt really lucky.

Emily: She said yes!

Sindy: Of course I did! What did you think was gonna happen?