Taking it back to 2018, we began dating just a couple months before our high school graduation. This was a long time coming apparently as nearly everyone, including our teachers, had been wanting us to make it official for quite some time. Unfortunately, graduating high school meant going our separate ways as Jake went off to A&M, while Marissa stayed closer to home and studied at University of Houston. Although this may not sound like the most ideal time to begin a relationship, we made it work with frequent FaceTime dates, constant texting, and coming home most weekends. A few years of this helped us cherish our time we did get together, so it was hard to find us apart during holidays and breaks between semesters. Once college graduation came 4 years later, we were excited to be living in the same city again- only issue is the city is big enough for the drive to be an hour between Jake’s house and Marissa’s apartment. We were excited nonetheless because this meant we were able to see each other multiple times in a week! Date nights spent trying out new restaurants around Houston and going on walks in Hermann Park became the norm. Once this past summer arrived, we decided to travel to Michigan, where Jake grew up. We spent a few days with family and headed to Mackinac Island. It truly was the best trip ever- we explored cute shops, skipped rocks on the lake, and ate plenty of the famous fudge all before getting ready for a nice dinner. Jake popped the question on the beach while we walked to dinner. Sharing the news with our family and friends that night and the following morning was something we will never forget. Coming back to reality after the trip ended was bitter sweet, but we have had the best time beginning the planning process and can’t wait to share the very best day with all of our loved ones.