Josh and I could have met a dozen times a dozen different ways. For nearly a decade we lived a single mile from each other. And while we may have spent half of that time at college, regular trips home and shared acquaintances meant we were bound to stumble across each other at some point. Right? Not exactly.

In high school, I was heavily involved in media broadcasting, so much so that I won awards for it. Josh, who was not in the program, still somehow managed to win an award. If you know him, you'll know that's something only he could accomplish. He helped to commentate sporting events for Powdersville - that's another thing, despite living a mile down the road from each other, we went to rival high schools - with our shared friend, Ally. Together, they won that award, and were slated to go to NYC for the ceremony, as were myself and my friend/co-host, Anna. Josh however, was unable to attend because it was baseball season, another thing that won't surprise you if you know him well - or at all. And so, we narrowly avoided meeting for the first time.

A few other near misses would happen over the years. I was invited to go swing dancing with a friend we happend to share. If I hadn't been too shy to say yes, maybe I would've met Josh then. When Josh first moved to SC, he toured Wren, and only chose Powdersville because he got catcalled - at least that's what he claims. We could've been classmates if one of my peers had just kept her mouth shut. Applying to grad school, Josh was prepared to head to Clemson and I to Rutgers, another miss, or at least it would've been had Clemson's baseball coach not dropped the ball - pun intended - and forgotten to call Josh to confirm his enrollment and had Rutgers not been so mind numbingly expensive. We owe those universities a thank you card.

Because Josh didn't go to Clemson, nor I to Rutgers, we both ended up at Winthrop. And then we ended up in two of the same classes, and then the same study group, and then on a date at a local coffee shop, and despite my initial stubborness, in love and engaged.

Looking back, I truly believe that the red string of fate connected Josh and I, and that it was just waiting for the right time to tie us together. I can't imagine having ended up anywhere or with anyone else.

E&J

Wedding Day