How we met:

I (Ryan) had just resumed my education after a hiatus at San Jose State University, feeling more rejuvenated and ready to finish my degree after some emotional ups and downs. I had decided that this particular semester (Fall 2019) I wanted to experiment with more broader art classes outside of my comfort zone of 2D, digital illustration/design, and video editing so I signed up for a beginning woodworking class and a beginning jewelry/small metals class. As many of you know I am a man of few words, and going into any new environment for me I tend to be even more quiet, shy and reserved. Walking into my first class that day was different because somebody caught my attention at the corner of my eye. It was Justin, talking with another colleague in class and I was completely gobsmacked at how handsome he was. Immediately, this wave of emotion hit me as if time somehow slowed down, as if my heart told me you need to go over there and introduce yourself because there is something special about this guy. After several failed attempts at trying to make small talk I tried to settle in more and get to know the class instead. But of course my eyes kept wandering back to Justin. I noticed that there was this magnetism and passion whenever Justin talked about art with our other classmates, which only further drew me in; cheesy I know, but honestly I had never felt this way towards anyone before. I gathered the courage to talk to a mutual friend Cynthia who I met in the jewelry/small metals class prior and started to ask subtle questions about Justin. Small things such as if she knew him, what his personality was like, and a bit later in the semester if he would possibly be interested in me. During an Art21 video during our woodworking class, he sat next to me, smiled, wrote down his number and pushed it towards me.

First I love you's:

It had been a beautiful but chaotic time with COVID hitting just as our relationship got off the ground in 2020 but nothing could deter either of us because we were so happy and in love. Justin was the first to say I love you, right after he dropped me off from one of our dates. I had to do a double take to process what just happened especially since he had the gall to say that to me as he was driving away! But he told me that I don't have to say it back until I was ready - but of course I blurted it right back at him! I had been carrying those same feelings months before, when we had our little spontaneous trip one night to Capitola. We just walked along the pier under the stars talking about our lives, and I remember we stopped by this little store to grab snacks on our way back home. Of course Justin got some sour gummy worms and I got some gummy sharks, we got in the car and headed home and all I could think about during the ride home was how I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man, that he means the absolute world to me and I hope that I can make him equally happy as he has for me; all the while the song playing on the radio at the time was Christina Perri - A Thousand Years.

Proposal:

(January 15, 2022)

Mendocino is our happy place, Justin found this little gem when he was booking a previous trip for us for a vacation/birthday for me. We fell in love with the area because it was such a cute little beach cliff town and it had so many artisans we could talk with about their art practices and for me the beach is my go to place to unwind. The glass beach and dunes were highlights of our trip previously when we went exploring around aside from the amazing jewelry making experience we did with Caitlin a local artist there and we made sea glass pendant necklaces!

Skip forward to 2022, Justin had surprised me with this trip to just relax and have some personal time just the two of us as we had gotten so busy with work. When we got there, it was perfect weather and we just lounged around playing board games, drinking wine and talking the afternoon away. The next morning Justin had planned a train ride into the redwoods, and it was such a beautiful activity to do because they had a few train cars that were open so you could stand outside if you wanted to enjoy the views and I cuddled up against Justin in perfect bliss. We got to stop after several miles into the mountains, surrounded by giant redwoods and they had a quaint barn set up and some paths you could walk around to enjoy the nature everywhere you looked. On our way back into town, Justin wanted to walk around the cliffs and view the ocean for a bit before we got dinner. We found a nice place to sit next to some tidepools and we talked for a while about us and how our relationship has blossomed and there was a brief pause before Justin got up and turned around to face me, grabbed my hand and told me that there wasn't a world in which he could not see us together, that I have changed him in so many positive ways and his love for me continues to grow the more time we spend together. He reached into his pocket and took out the ring and said I love you, will you marry me? My heart soared.

It's been a fantastical and beautiful journey together so far and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for us. We are truly an unstoppable force, and the bonds we share, the creativity that blossoms, as well as our personal growth and love for one another are absolutely limitless.