My time in nursing school consisted largely of sleepless nights spent studying followed by early-morning beachside drives to the hospital before the sun came up- all the while looking like a prisoner in my burnt orange hospital scrubs. This cycle was "wash, rinse, repeated" for many months whereafter my cohort of peers became trauma-bonded together (in the absolute best way). Amazing friends were made throughout these months, namely a tall brown- eyed goofball named Nithin who asked way too many questions every day in class.

As a new semester started, our psych rotation began which I was by far the most nervous for- I mean, how can you help heal something that we can't even see?? During our first few weeks at the psych hospital, Nithin mentioned to the group that he lived in Missouri City. I, an avid overthinker, immediately had an entire inner dialogue contemplating my next move... "Okay, if I tell Nithin that I also live in Missouri City, then he will definitely ask me to carpool to class with him... and if he asks me to carpool, I can't say no! But I don't even know this guy that well, what if we get trapped in awkward conversations on our many hour-long drives to the psych ward, a place I am already nervous to have to go!" After contemplating for about 10 seconds... I blurted out that I live right next to him (turns out in the same neighborhood), and within no time at all I had a new carpool buddy.

My fears couldn't have been any further from the truth. Nithin and I hit it off as great friends right away, and the hour-long drives gave us time to truly get to know each other. I began to love being around Nithin's fun, goofy, thoughtful, and passionate personality. Without each other realizing it, Nithin and I started to find any excuse to hang out again. We would carpool to almost every class, study together for every test, and as we sought out each other's company we started to realize that our friendship was growing into something much more beautiful.

Nithin and my story was orchestrated beautifully by the Lord Who watched over us our entire lives, slowly paving the path for us to meet. We are so incredibly blessed to have met one another, where we now are offered a lifetime of learning, challenging each other, and growing together in Christ's gift of marriage. We are also so blessed to have grown up showered in prayer by our families who molded us into the people that we are today, and taught us what true love stories look like.

Nithin and I cannot wait to celebrate our love story with all of you soon.

Psalm 67: 1-5

1 "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!"