In the summer of 2019, all I wanted to do was study in peace for the MCAT. So I jetted off to Ithaca, NY where surely there would be nothing to do but study and work. Little did I know, I would meet Garrett, my forever person!

By complete coincidence, Andrew (check out our wedding party page!) reached out at the beginning of the summer and put me in contact with a few friends in Ithaca that summer. Naturally, I Facebook stalked all of them and decided Garrett would be the best person to reach out to. On first impression, Garrett thought I was a high schooler, and I thought Garrett was a bit of a party animal, but it was nonetheless the start of a beautiful friendship.

By some miracle, Garrett convinced me to go to the gym every day that summer, and on weekends, we would watch Westworld and Game of Thrones, cook together, explore the waterfalls of Ithaca, and go blueberry picking. The end of the summer came before we knew it and we parted ways. Surely, going to school on opposite coasts and having family in Chicago vs. Austin, there was no way anything would work out.

Jokingly, I told Garrett to visit me for Fall Break. Surprisingly, he agreed! Fast forward to October 14, 2019, Garrett came to see me in Berkeley, CA, and the rest was history. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we quarantined together and it was honestly some of the best months of my life. We went on road trips around Texas, to Chicago and Colorado. Garrett was by my side through all of my applications to medical school and even came to support me in Germany during my Fulbright. We got to explore Germany and Italy while there before Garrett truly proved his love by moving to Detroit with me.

Since medical school began, Garrett has always been my rock, and since the very first day I met him, he has made me a better person. He has shown me that there is more to life than the grind and shown me the value of balancing happiness with aspirations. He is the best adventure buddy and though we already have so many memories together, I can't wait to make more. Here's to a lifetime with my better half!

First of all, let me set the record straight. When I first met Vikki, Andrew told me she was a "friend from high school" coming to Cornell to do summer research before the fall semester started. I took this to mean she just graduated and was getting a head start on undergrad research, only to find out she was older than me! I thought I would just show her around my favorite spots in Ithaca as a tour guide and soon-to-be college senior, but our relationship blossomed into so much more than that. How was I to know I'd meet my favorite person at my favorite school during one of my favorite years of my life? Lucky me!

When we started dating, I knew what we had was special. Though we only technically started dating in the fall of 2019, it felt like we had known each other forever. Things were going pretty smoothly until our first relationship hurdle -- COVID. It was a tremendous gamble, but I asked Vikki to quarantine with me in Austin and to my surprise, she accepted!

Quarantine was a great time. I was worried we would get sick of each other after spending 24/7 together. Instead, we continued to learn more and more about each other everyday. The more I learned, the more I fell in love. After our remote work was done everyday, we'd head downstairs to eat dinner and play poker with my parents. They quickly warmed up to Vikki, and she easily earned their approval.

Since quarantine started, life has been a blur. We have done so much together and seen even more. Our travels took us through several states, across Europe, and most recently, to Taiwan.

Beyond being a wonderful partner, Vikki has also been an invaluable inspiration to me. If not for her, I never would have discovered my passion for veterinary medicine. I never would have worked as hard as I did to get to where I am today. I never would have studied to be as successful as I am now. I owe everything to Vikki -- thankfully, I have a lifetime to pay it back. I have all I could ever ask for and infinitely more. Cheers to a happily ever after!