While I casually knew Ross since 7th grade, our story really began back in high school. I knew Ross through friends, and as the years went by, we eventually became the best of friends. From helping me with my physics project to passing notes during a way-too-long history class, I quickly learned he was someone I could count on. Some will say he was stuck in the friend zone for a decade, but I will say that maybe I was enjoying being a free spirit.

Scared of potentially losing a true best friend if things didn't work out, it took Ross months of convincing me to go on a first date. April 29, 2018, was our first date at hibachi, and it went great! I kept joking that if the date didn't go as planned, I might not make it to his birthday dinner the following day. And how better to celebrate an excellent first date than with a high-five in his driveway. Fast forward to the end of summer and we officially began dating.

We love a good staycation, and unwinding after a long stretch of night shifts couldn't have been better than staying in downtown Hollywood by the water. The next morning, I was watching a zoom lecture and eating a cookie (those warm DoubleTree cookies pair so well with coffee), when I finally go to get ready for the day. Ross tells me he wants to take a picture of me on the balcony. I'm admiring the ocean, and when I turn back around, he is down on one knee, ring box in hand.

We aren't materialistic. We just want to see the world!