The year was 1994, long anticipated he was. Januarys in the north are cold, the frost unrelenting. At the closest hospital to home, off the side of the main road he was born. The moon was over halfway illuminated that night, a waxing crescent. As sun began to make its appearance baby Arjun was born. That fussy baby soon grew to be a picky eater that loved to keep his parents up night after night. With time he grew to be a curious, friendly and easy-going boy.

My mom always recounts how much she loved being pregnant, she shares that even with the ever-present nausea she still felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. I was born after a blistering hot summer, my mom labored all day and as the sun began to temper I was born. I came home to a doting brother a day later. I was an easy baby by all accounts, I soon grew to be a painfully shy child. My parents share that I was always a caretaker, it's like I was born with this inherit need to love others.

Much to his parent's surprise Arjun wanted to play hockey as a young child. He loved it, despite the stench, he loved it. The rink was just down the street from his house, making the commute easy and convenient. Soon though, the love shifted to tennis and so began a sport that he would invest many hours on for the years to come. Arjun now loves all things sports; he honestly is annoyingly good at everything he puts his mind to. He loves the art of climbing boulders, the plumes of clay out on the tennis courts, the mind/body connection in ping pong and the rush of lifting weights. Arjun is definitely who you want on your team, he is undeniably loyal, ambitious, strong and determined. His parents unconditional support helped this love flourish and helped his confidence grow; we can both see the beauty in that gift from parents to child.

Most of my fondest memories are centered around our annual trips to Mexico. My family would load up the car, drive for three long calendar days until we came upon the familiar white and red buildings that lined the rocky dirt roads. I can still remember the lingering aroma of burning wood day and night, the hushed prayers my grandma would close each night with and the freedom I felt because all of the woes that even as a sensitive child I knew about, somehow disappeared when we were there. I used to love playing school, house and pretend that I was a doctor. I struggled in elementary school; I can remember with such clarity how difficult it was for me to learn English. Once I had gotten comfortable with it, I found a love for reading. I continued to be incredibly shy until middle school, I had very few friends, but I always found comfort in knowing that I could immerse myself in the stories I'd read. My childhood was hard in many ways, but I wouldn't change it. It makes me who I am now- sensitive, intuitive, resilient, brave and empathetic. The passionate love for reading carried me through to high school, where I met my still best friend, Kelly.

Arjun is probably one of the most intelligent people I know, but he would never boast about it. He excelled in school and in 6th grade his parents Sanjay and Priya, took a leap of faith and enrolled Arjun in a new school that had opened in town. He became one of the first students to attend AMSA (Advanced Math & Science Academy). When he wasn't studying Arjun enjoyed going to the movies with his brother Amar and his best friend Anthony. Truth be told, he was a dream of a teen. He soon graduated high school and began his college career at Georgia Tech. Starting sophomore year he moved into a shared dormitory apartment with three of his freshmen classmates. They very soon became very close friends, and still nurture this friendship to this day. While in college Arjun developed a love for ping-pong and went on to play competitively for Georgia Tech. Arjun now plays ping pong on Wednesday evenings. His best friend is still the same from childhood, Anthony. He still continues to be wickedly smart and does all the math in this household, this will probably never change.

In high school I jumped in headfirst into all things FFA (Future Farmers of America), through this channel I met Kelly. I raised lambs, gave Parli-pro a try and even worked in office. I wasn't a particularly good student, but I was responsible and starting to light the fire of wanting more. I finished high school at Chico State University as a participant in the local University Connection program. I had gone from a teen that needed my parents to drive me everywhere because I didn't know how to drive to an independent young woman. By the summers end of my junior year I learned how to drive, got a job, began commuting for school and began taking college courses with actual adults. I had a lot to learn and time was just moving so fast! I became a RN at the tender age of 21. Before I knew it ten years working at the bedside had come to a close and I knew I wanted more to my life. I slowly (and I mean very slowly) let go of the life I had and began the one I wanted. I began to travel, first to Portland and eventually I moved to Australia. Life has been anything, but predictable, but my gosh, if this is where it would lead me time and time again, I'd without a doubt keep it all the same.

Our stories may be entirely different, it's wild that in this entire world we found each other. There is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with. A little over a year ago we became cat parents, Melo and Nala have changed our worlds. It is hard to imagine life before they joined us. Our home has slowly become the cozy space it is now, in fact, it is almost unrecognizable from when I first moved in. We both love to workout, go to bed early (like REALLY early), hot weather and to travel. We are beyond excited to pursue life as a married couple, someday dance in a new home and hopefully soon begin a family of our own. How sweet it is, I have found my best friend, my love, my forever.