Reed and I were born and raised in Boulder. We met at the Trident Cafe during our junior year of high school. I immediately spotted Reed, with his disarming smile, curly hair, and a long strand of Nepali beads around his neck. Upon sitting down, I took the necklace in my hand and asked if he could pick out my favorite bead, stating that if he could, he might just be my soul mate. Well, guess what? .... He did! Reed invited me to Proto's that weekend (and brought his wonderful parents along). Our best friend Andrew made us our first pizza, and over dinner with his fam, I was convinced this was the cheesiest guy I'd ever met (and I liked that). That summer we said teary goodbyes as I boarded a flight for Amherst, MA to attend Hampshire College. Reed loaded his ski gear in the back of his green Subaru to hit the pow in Bellingham, Washington and attend Fairhaven College. Four years later after living on opposite coasts and countless failed attempts to forget one another, we graduated, and I boarded a flight to Washington. Together at last! During 2012 we traveled the world, made some new friends, and moved to the Bay area where Reed worked as a botanist and I scored a nanny gig. After moving six times in eight months we realized we weren't cut out for city life, packed up Reed's truck with all our belongings and headed to Burning Man where Reed initially proposed to me in front of our camp. People cheered, and I was flattered, but not convinced. Dusty-haired and sleepy-eyed we heard the call of Chief Niwot's curse calling us home to Boulder where Reed stopped hugging trees and started cutting them down. Meanwhile, I entered an accelerated nursing program to begin what would be a challenging yet rewarding career in healthcare. On December 29, (my birthday) two years ago, Reed took me into the mountains, led me to a special spot and stated, "While I don't have much to offer, I can give you this: a lifetime of loving you." Thanks goober, back at you!