Surprise, surprise, we met in college. We lived in the same dorm building and our paths crossed one Friday night when he appeared at my door with a few others. Let's just say he didn't "woo" me much with stories of his German exchange student ex-girlfriend and telling me how his last name was a palindrome. But we did click immediately and became fast friends early on before taking the next step in our senior year.

After college was a transformative time for both of us. We had our sights set on Portland, Maine with only an idea of what it was like. It was our first time living together and the very beginning of our real-world jobs. We looked at our new home in Maine through rose-colored glasses—living in Portland's west end, me working at a nonprofit farm, and Dylan at a small cidery. It was truly idyllic and established our roots. Sometimes we pinch ourselves thinking back to where we started—knowing nobody!—and how we got where we are, and know that we are blessed with a home, dog, and careers because of our motivation and support for each other.