We first met at the Stanislaus County Fair in July 2011. Monica was walking by and noticed I had a saxophone in hand (I was playing Dixieland jazz that night in the agriculture building, the one with the prize winning vegetables. Pretty big deal). She made a wager with me, offering me $1 if I could play a B major scale. Easy money! After I earned that dollar, I told her to keep an eye out for me on the main stage. I told her that I would be opening for Big Time Rush, the big music act that night. She saw right through my lie.

We did not cross paths again until the following March, when I was auditioning at CSU Stanislaus to study music. She was working the check-in desk, and said "Hey I know you! We met at the fair right?" She was looking super hot but my mom was with me so I played cool. "Yeah I remember that." Crickets. "Good luck in your audition!" "Thanks". Again some time passed before we spoke again.

The next time we had a chance to talk was in Basic Class Guitar. She was playing an old clunker guitar that rattled. I did anything I could to sit next to her each class. We would joke, laugh, and play to each other each day, even when we were separated by a few seats. I feel bad for anyone that sat between us. On October 8th, 2013, I planned a lonely hiking trip by myself and invited her, hoping that she would feel obligated to come. She took the bait! We went to Big Trees State Park in Arnold, CA, ate leftover fish from her mom, carved romantic letters into a wooden bench, and took an awkward photo under the drive-thru tree. It was perfect. I wouldn't trade our first date for anything in the world. A month later I found out that she didn't know it was a date. I still call it our first date.

4+ years and many "real" dates later: On August 5th, 2018, I proposed to Monica near the Stan State music department. Right before she graduated several years ago, she planted a garden for me so that I wouldn't forget about her when she started working and I was still in school. That was where I popped the question. She could sense it from a mile away. I was dressed nicer than normal, I was carrying a backpack, and I was clearly nervous. I read a poem I wrote that made us both laugh and cry, then gave her a photo album that spanned our entire relationship. At the end were pictures of the ring box being opened. Despite shaky hands, I was able to put the ring on her finger.

We have experienced so much joy together, and count our blessings every day. We have been on many romantic dinner/movie dates, several romantic taco bell and lesson planning dates, and everything in between. We have laughed at each others jokes, cried at each others pains, been joyful for each others triumphs, and now we look forward to doing that for the rest of our lives as the two of us become one.