For many Naval Academy Midshipmen, Indoctrination Day was a day filled with excitement, shock, and regret (briefly). But, I was lucky because little did I know on that first day I would meet my future wife! Echo Company, 9th Platoon, 1st Squad was where it all started for Midshipman 4th Class Smith and Midshipman 4th Class Jones. For six weeks I referred to Blake as Ms. Smith and she referred to me as Mr. Jones, and we, along with the rest of our company mates, navigated the challenges of Plebe Summer. Each day was jam-packed with hot and humid weather, physical training, studying, more physical training, briefs, and chow calls. But, through that adversity our class bonded and our camaraderie grew. After Plebe Summer ended, my classmates and I finally had enough time to socialize and learn more about each other. I learned that Blake and I had very similar upbringings, and we were both recruited to play lacrosse at Navy. We were both stubborn to a fault, and enjoyed going out and spending time with friends. We were both fun, outgoing, and easy to get along with as well. The similarities were clear, but the timing wasn’t right just yet. Blake and I had other relationships during our time at Navy, but throughout our four years we remained friends. I think senior year really solidified our friendship when Blake would often stop by my room to say hi and get homework answers from Andrey, I mean tutoring… and I would go to Blake’s room for late night snacks when I was hungry. Outside of Bancroft Hall, the men’s lacrosse team and I would see Blake and her teammates at Acme on the weekends, where she may or may not have rejected me one night after I tried to flirt with her. (Story for another time). Before we knew it, May 25th 2018 had arrived which meant we’d finally graduate. While it was a momentous day, the sad reality was that within a few weeks all of our closest friends would get scattered around the world for the foreseeable future. I was heading to Quantico, VA for Marine Corps Officer basic training and Blake was going to Norfolk, VA to join her first ship. From May 2018 to December, we didn’t see each other, but the reunion that is Army Navy Football brought us back together along with several of our friends. After barely passing a Land Navigation exam, I was able to drive to Philadelphia to see Blake and a bunch of our friends for the first time in months. We had a big reunion on Friday night at one of the bars in Philadelphia, but it was the Saturday night after the football game that changed my life forever. Navy unfortunately lost to Army 17-10, but as the saying goes, “Win or lose, we still booze.” That being said, a few friends and I landed at a bar in downtown Philly, and I texted Blake to meet up with us there. I wasn’t sure she would show up until I saw her and her friend Clare at the bar. We got drinks and talked, and eventually we made our way to the dance floor. Blake and I were dancing the night away when suddenly she turned toward me and we were face to face. Our eyes locked in that moment and we shared that look when you know you want to kiss someone and they want to kiss you. Knowing that was my opportunity, I leaned in for the kiss and from that moment I knew that Blake was the one for me. On February 15th I asked her to be my girlfriend, and for the next four years we did long distance between Camp Lejeune, NC/Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach. We made it through my field operations, her multiple underways, and two full deployments. There was a period of time from the fall of 2020 to the spring of 2021 that we didn’t see each other for 10 months, and to this day I think we are still trying to cover the deficit between days apart and days together. Fortunately, we were able to finally bring our lives together in Washington, D.C. in March 2023, and by August 29th I proposed to Blake in Paris, France. It has been an incredible journey and now we can’t wait to be officially married on May 10, 2025!