We initially met in fall of 2010 when we were both studying for our respective undergraduate degrees on the California Central Coast. Through luck and a mutual friend, Justin’s field trip took him down from San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara. Justin and his friends stayed at Linda and her housemates’ apartment for a night, getting to know one another before “friending” each other on Facebook.

In the spring of 2018, we reconnected digitally via social media when Linda solicited recommendations for things to do in Italy for her first Europe trip. Justin offered Linda an impressive array of restaurants and sites to see in Rome from his time studying abroad in Italy, and Linda enjoyed a few of his recommendations on her "eat, pray" journey through Italy and the Amalfi coast.

When she returned from her trip, Justin asked Linda out for a midday date in Downtown Culver City that evolved from an afternoon talk over beers, into a walk on the Jacaranda-lined streets, that turned into an evening dinner. We found more reasons to keep the conversation going and have not stopped talking and exploring together since.

Justin and Linda’s relationship continued to grow across LA traffic, late nights of deadlines and studying for their master's degrees, and through a global pandemic. After graduating, they moved in together and now call Los Angeles their home.

In the spring of 2023, Justin, Linda, and their friends went on a long-awaited vacation together. Justin got down on one knee in a vineyard in Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe to ask Linda if she would marry him. Through tears, she joyfully cried “Yes!”