We went on our first date senior year of high school during the Polar Vortex (Corner Bar and Lowell movie theater if you were curious).

We went to West Catholic's winter formal called Here's My Heart!

We went to senior prom together!

We graduated from West Catholic high school!

We each moved in to college—Nic to Michigan Tech and Grace to Hope College—and began the 8 hour long distance that would last the next four years.

COVID-19 and lockdown came with all of its complications, but the extra time that we got to spend in the same zip code during summer and school closures was definitely a silver lining.

Nic graduated from Michigan Technological University with a B.S. in Forestry and a minor in Business.

Grace graduated from Hope College a week later with a B.A. in English and a minor in Classical Studies.

After almost five years of being together, we got engaged at Tunnel Park in Holland (Grace's favorite beach).