We met our freshman year of high school, 19 years ago on September 14, 2002.

We were introduced during a Welcome Dance at the high school, had one very awkward slow dance together, then did not speak to each other the rest of the evening. After conversing via AIM (AOL Instant Messaging) for weeks, our first date was Homecoming.

We were each other’s first kiss and first boyfriend/girlfriend. We dated for four months before breaking up because 15-year-olds don’t know anything about relationships but have stayed good friends after all these years.

Mark went off to St. Mary’s in Moraga for college, while Sarah went to San Diego State University in San Diego. We would talk on the phone for hours in the evenings because back then, cell plans would not charge minutes if phone calls are made after 7:00pm.

After years of falling out of orbit in each other’s lives, Mark and Sarah eventually both moved to Concord and ended up living 4 minutes from each other.

We started spending more time with each other, falling back into having hours-long conversations and eventually dating again.

We moved in together during the pandemic, June 2020, and have learned more about how we communicate and can read each other better than anyone else in our lives. And despite dating again, we have stayed best friends.

We like being competitive against each other; for example, we race completing the daily New York Times crossword puzzle, trying to solve it faster than the other and play Jeopardy against each other. We do not play chess against each other anymore, because Mark is much better at it and Sarah is a sore loser.

Mark proposed marriage at the Claremont Hotel in Oakland on December 5, 2021. We are looking forward to spending another 19+ years growing up together.