Duncan and I met after he high-fived me when I called someone a jerk. Don't worry, he deserved it. We didn't talk much after then, but we had a class together the next semester. He sat right behind me, and I would try and find a reason to turn around and talk to him because I thought we could be good friends.

Nothing happened the first year of our friendship romantically, but we worked on homework, and he helped teach me math that I do not remember anything about. He was even officially my tutor for three sessions before I finished the class.

During our sophomore year, we grew much closer. We probably would have dated sooner if the pandemic didn't put us on opposite sides of the country. After I had moved into my college home before my junior year, I reached out to Duncan to see when he would be moving back to Grand Rapids. He informed me that he had already been living three blocks away from me for a whole month.

After I found this out, I brought a shandy (the only beer I'll drink) to share with him and his housemates. I knew the connection that was starting to form had sparked back up. After leaving his house, I called him and asked to hang out with just him. We decided to go see if we could find the Neowise comet.

That night as we caught up, we shared our feelings with each other. Our relationship started tentatively because, as some of you know, the both of us had gone through some very difficult experiences, and we did not want to rush into anything. But slowly, as we supported each other, our love grew solid and strong.

Even though I wish that we had started dating sooner, I am so happy how our relationship has developed. Duncan has been my rock as we weathered brutal storms, he has been my joy as we fell in love, and he has been my home as we moved across the country.

Kate and I first met at the tail end of our first semester at Calvin when she defended a classmate's Engr 101 project from an overly judgmental peer. To show my support, I gave the pretty stranger a high five.

Our first real interaction came a little over a month later when we started Engr 205 together. Seated right behind her, we often chatted before and after class. Further into the semester, we started to do homework together. Admittedly, I typically had already completed the homework with other friends, and just used this time as an excuse to talk and joke around with her. I even vividly remember making plans to ask her out on a date, but ultimately didn’t as the timing never worked out.

The next fall, I was assigned to be her Calc III tutor. Despite this, I rarely saw her as we didn’t have classes together and weird scheduling (combined with an impromptu rock-climbing trip by Kate) caused us to only have a handful of tutoring sessions. Regardless, it was always fun to see her, catch up, and crack some jokes. It helped that she really didn’t need a tutor.

Moving into 2020 was rough. Despite the pandemic and a shared personal loss, Kate and I remained in contact while “stay at home” separated us across the country. During this time, Kate started up her blog and I became a dedicated follower. I often texted her about her posts, which frequently led into larger conversations.

Upon returning to Grand Rapids, I failed to inform Kate. When she eventually found out I lived just down the street, she promptly arranged to catch up with me and my housemates. After this fist hangout dinner, Kate asked if we could do something one-on-one. We soon made plans to see the Neowise comet at a local park. Although we didn’t know at the time, we both now consider this event our first date.

The following years only strengthened our bond. She is my best friend, biggest support, and my constant source of joy. With her by my side, I know we can face anything life throws our way, and that through it all, we’ll still be joking around.