After talking for a few days on Tinder, it was on this night that Will picked up Sarah, and took her on their first date at O'Toole's in Libertyville. There, we watched the Chicago Blackhawks lose to the New Jersey Devils 1-7. Even though the Hawks didn't win, the night brought cheer in other ways. It was only a few days later that we saw each other again, and we made more plans to get together once we returned to our respective schools after Winter Break ended.

Sarah visited Oxford during a long weekend, on break from student teaching. We went out in Oxford, visiting all of Will's favorite places, including Bar 1868. Sarah met all of Will's buddies, and won over Sidney too, and it wasn't long before his mind was made up -- despite the hour long distance between Indy and Oxford, he knew he had to ask if she'd be his girlfriend, and she of course said yes.

Just months after beginning their romance, the global pandemic changed everything. Our spring breaks were extended, then school years ended virtually, and there was nothing left to do but travel home together to be with family. Could you imagine meeting each other's families for the first time during social distancing? Eventually, Sarah returned to Indy for job interviews and graduation, and Will stayed in Wadsworth with his family. With the distance even greater -- now 3 and half hours between us-- visits became more rare, but we always worked to make our moments together count.

After a year of managing our long distance relationship, adulting, full time jobs, and the pandemic, we finally had a summer together. Sarah came back to Mundelein and we enjoyed many moments at weddings, date nights, and of course hockey games. The future plans started to set in motion before Sarah returned to Indianapolis, knowing this would be the last year living and teaching in Indiana before returning to Illinois for good.

In the midst of adulting, Will picked up coaching hockey, and adds a shared experience for us to bond over. We could now share funny stories about teenagers we mentor at school or on the ice. And while supporting each others passions, we still made many trips to visit each other. Sarah could often be found in the bleachers chatting with the parents of Will's team, even at away tournaments, because she'd take any excuse to see him. And Will could be found helping her grade essays and quizzes, because he knew it could help her relax during their times together.

Despite a tough and competitive housing market, and with the help of a really great realtor, we bought our first house in McHenry, IL. We worked together to make it our own, and now our little family thrives in our own space. Plus, we love getting to see each other every day.

On a Friday night after going out for pizza at Buddyz, Will interrupts Sarah trying to unlock the front door by kneeling down and showing her a beautiful ring. He couldn't even get a word out because she already said yes. We can't wait to start next chapter, and to kick it off with a beautiful day of celebration surrounded by all our family and friends.