Sarah & Connor
Sarah & Connor
Our journey to “I do”
When we first met in early 2018, neither of us was in the best place in our lives. We were both struggling with our mental health, we'd both taken a semester off from college, and we both decided to enroll in a group therapy program for young adults dealing with anxiety issues. We went into the program hoping that it would change our lives for the better, though neither of us realized just how much.
Sarah was interested in Connor the moment she saw him walk into the room, although not in a romantic way at first. Her interest was piqued further when she discovered that Connor is a licensed pilot. As for Connor, he was first drawn to Sarah's intellect, natural beauty, and gothic clothes.
Despite this mutual interest, we didn't end up talking much during the program, but we did bond over one topic in particular: our pets. During our first real conversation, Sarah told Connor about her cats, Percy and Odie, and how they would brighten her day when she was feeling down. Connor told Sarah about his dog Riley, and how he would motivate Connor to get up and moving on the days it was hard to get out of bed. Once we started dating, we of course got to meet each other's pets, and we are both so lucky to have developed deep bonds with them, which has not only amplified the love in our lives, but strengthened our connection to each other.
On Connor's last day of the program, Sarah made the first move by asking Connor to exchange numbers. Connor was flattered, but didn't know if this gesture meant that Sarah wanted to be friends or something more serious (and honestly, neither did Sarah). However, he knew in his heart that he wanted to consider Sarah as more than a friend, so he called a few days later to ask her out on a date.
Our first date was on April 14, 2018 in downtown Redwood City. We had great conversation over lunch at a local restaurant followed by a lovely walk in the sunshine. Sarah wasn't 100 percent sure our outing was a date until the moment Connor asked to hold her hand. Both of us were filled with joy as we walked, hand in hand, until we found a nice bench to sit on. There we shared our first kiss, and then basked in the sun and each other's company for what felt like a blissful eternity. A few days later we had our second date, and the rest is history!
After a few months, it was time for Connor to return to college on the East Coast, and thus began the long distance phase of our relationship. Our bond was already so strong that by the time Connor left for Washington, he knew there was nothing he wanted more than to try to keep the relationship going, and Sarah felt the same. For the next few years, we would often go months at a time without seeing each other in person. Long-distance was (and is) definitely a challenge, but by that point we both knew that our relationship was worth the world to us, and we were ready and willing to work through that challenge.
On April 14, 2023, we celebrated our fifth anniversary by having lunch at the same restaurant we went to for our first date, and then Connor said he wanted to go on a hike. Sarah was confused, as we don't often hike together, and, exhausted from a busy week, was resistant to the idea. But Connor insisted, and promised the hike would be short. The hike was, at best, short-ish, and definitely required more substantial footwear than the ballet flats Sarah was wearing.
Connor had always remembered a spot in the mountains west of Redwood City that struck him as a beautiful place for a romantic moment alone. After sitting for a minute to catch our breath from the hike, Connor told Sarah how much she means to him and how he wants us to be together forever. He pulled a small box from his backpack, got down on one knee, and proposed. Sarah eagerly and joyfully accepted, jumping to hug Connor before even looking at the ring. We both felt an overwhelming sense of joy knowing that we were equally excited to spend the rest of our lives together.
Since October of 2023, Sarah has been spending much of her time at Connor's home in Northern Virginia, getting to know the area she will soon call home. We have been exploring the Washington DC Metro Area and doing lots of fun activities together as we excitedly prepare for our long distance relationship to end for good.
And that's our story so far! We can't wait to get married and celebrate our love with our family and friends.
Photos:
1. At Winkler Botanical Preserve in Alexandria, VA
2. Connor with Percy and Odie
3. Sarah and Riley
4. From fall 2018
5. Our first Christmas together!
6. In DC for Connor's 22nd birthday
7. In California for Sarah's 22nd birthday
8. The spot where Connor proposed
9. Telling our parents that we're engaged!
10. At the US Botanic Garden
11. Seeing the cherry blossoms in DC
Click to see the full photos!