Our Story
A Friendship Begins
Emily and I first met while we were students at UC Davis. Neither of us actually remember our first meeting; Emily would often study with my roommates so we crossed paths a lot.
Over time we became good friends, and would frequently hangout around campus in Davis or out-and-about San Francisco.
After we graduated college in 2012, Emily moved to Texas and me to San Francisco. We stayed in touch, but didn't see each other for a couple of years. It wasn't until about 2014 that Emily started visiting San Francisco and the two of us would hang out! Through our shared love of football and concerts, Emily and I attended various 49ers game and even a Taylor Swift concert!
In late 2015, I decided to move to London. The timing coincided with a trip Emily had in Europe, so we spent a couple days in London touring the sites. This marked the start of many future trips together and a new shared hobby of traveling!
A Traveling Reunion
In January of 2016, Emily decided to quit her job and start traveling through Asia. Her trip once again overlapped with one of mine: in March of 2016, we met up in India to celebrate Holi! (In Indian culture, Holi is the "festival of colors"; it's meant to mark the beginning of Spring and start the year afresh.) We spent 10 days staying with relatives and touring the sites, and of course "playing Holi!"
After our India trip, Emily went back to Southeast Asia and I went back to London. We continued to keep in touch, though we didn't meet again until our first date.
The First Date
Fast forward to April 28, 2017: Emily was living in San Francisco and I was fresh off the plane from London. Our first date was that very night! And through a mutual love of food, we continued to explore San Francisco and get to know each other.
The next three years included trips to Seattle, New England, Pennsylvania, Bulgaria, London, France, Japan, and so much more.
She Said Yes!
In early August, 2019, I planned to propose. I secretly had both families fly into San Francisco and stay nearby. On the morning of August 2, I was so nervous that instead of working I was just playing video games. Come lunch time, I needed Emily out of the house for 30 minutes so I could prepare the room. I somehow convinced Emily that I couldn't join her for a walk with our dog Kingsley, even though I had just been dodging work, so Emily left on her own.
While she was out, I set up a dozen pictures of our past few years together. There were photos of every trip we had taken, family members, close friends; it was a collection of our best memories.
Of course, Emily said yes! The families then showed up, much to Emily's surprise, and the celebrations began.
