I still remember the first day of junior year like it had been waiting for me all along. It didn’t feel like anything extraordinary at the time—just another start to another semester. But that was the day Sara walked in, bringing her friend Richie along to meet some of the guys. I had no idea then that moment would quietly change everything about my life.

At first, it was easy. Natural. Sara and I became friends without trying too hard—just falling into the same rhythm. Over the next two years, that friendship grew into something I came to depend on more than I realized at the time. We spent countless nights with our friends, laughing, going out, staying in, and just figuring life out together. Somewhere in all of that, Sara became my person—my best friend in every sense of the word.

By the time graduation came around, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to take that next step. There wasn’t some big dramatic shift—just a quiet understanding that we already had something real, something worth building on. So we did. We started dating, and not long after, we moved in together, stepping into a new chapter side by side.

Life since then has been everything I hoped it could be and more. We’ve explored the world together—traveling to Japan, wandering through Halifax, making memories in Chicago, and soaking in time in North Carolina. Each place added another layer to our story, another collection of moments I’ll always hold onto.

But more than the places, it’s been the way we’ve grown—individually and together. We’ve built our careers, supported each other through challenges, and created a life that feels steady and full. Somewhere along the way, our families became shared, and the people we love blended into something even bigger.

On May 30, 2025, in the Public Gardens of Halifax, I asked Sara to marry me. It felt surreal in the best way—standing there with the person who had been by my side through so many seasons of life, knowing this was just the beginning of the next one.

Looking back, it’s kind of incredible how it all started so simply. No big plan, no expectations—just two people who became best friends and never stopped choosing each other. And if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that whatever comes next, I wouldn’t want to do any of it without her.