Moving into college in August of 2017, I left my door open so I could meet other students on my floor. Little did I know that I was meeting my future wife that day (as well as her entire boisterous family!).

Zoey and I became great friends over the first few months of undergrad. In a funny twist of fate, we ended up having 4 classes together that first semester - even though we had completely different majors! I, for one, was not planning on being in a relationship during college, and went as far as telling her that as we saw more and more of our peers begin dating.

Fast forward to that first Thanksgiving break, we went our separate ways and really missed each other’s company - that was when I (belatedly) realized it may be more than a friendship. Zoey, of course, knew everything way before I did. However, my insistence that I was not looking for a relationship made her hesitant to make a move. Ironically, while we were still dancing around the subject of relationships, everyone who knew us thought we were dating in secret the whole time! Honestly, fair assessment since we were definitely really into each other even though we hadn't acknowledged it yet. As winter break got closer, we finally began dating in earnest, and never stopped.

Zoey taught me an appreciation for New England winters, and was the most patient ski instructor ever. In exchange, I’ve given her a collection of random animal facts to bring up at parties - though some of them are probably not fit for polite company! We’ve found a shared appreciation for chaotic forest wandering, nerding out about edible plants, and appreciating the outdoors in every season (except for the mosquitoes).

We had some wild times in Vermont, and learned and grew together while figuring out the next steps after college. When I was admitted to vet school, she elected to join me in Ohio (a brave choice) and off we went. Fortuitously, she found a great grad program at the same school, and we will graduate together in 2026.

Last summer, we took a great vacation and surprised each other by proposing at the same time! We were on the same page, evidently! It’s been a rollercoaster navigating life with both of us in grad school, but it’s definitely proven the value of good communication and shown us how resilient our relationship is. She keeps me dancing, I keep her laughing, and together we make the best team. We’re confident we can get through anything as long as we have each other! We’re very excited to begin the rest of our lives together, and so happy to share our celebration with you!