The week of October 1st, 2018 was unusual: Lindsey was debating whether she could afford the time to visit her best friend in Boston, having just returned from a year in France, moved into a new house in Philadelphia, and started grad school. Elias was processing a long-overdue breakup and turned to his expert-planner friend to help distract him. So, when Chloe (the mutual friend in question) invited Elias on a weekend hike with her friend from out of town, he happily agreed. Upon meeting, Lindsey and Elias were immediately struck by how much it felt like greeting an old friend. They had moved through common cities and friends, both attending college in Pittsburgh and spending time after in the suburbs of Geneva, Switzerland. One of Lindsey’s exes and continuing best friends was one of Elias’s first friends in college, and the overlap made their years of non-acquaintance comical. They took to each other, diving into hours of conversation on that first hike spanning the history and nature of yoga, their shared love of photography, their mutual fixation with Europe and languages, and more. Chloe, ever a master of the intentional smooshing together of friends, noticed. After confirming that Lindsey was indeed interested, she invited Elias to more events while Lindsey was in town including a comedy show and slam poetry night. When Elias gave signs of interest but was too slow to move, Lindsey took matters (and his arm) into her own hands. Elias, being possessed of some intellect and eyes, took those hands and never let go. Three straight days of texting and late night calls later, Elias asked Lindsey if she was free that coming weekend. She, confused, answered she was but couldn’t see how that was relevant given the physical distance between them. Elias asked her on a date and, upon her bemused acceptance, purchased a round-trip single day plane ticket to Philadelphia to see if this might be something special. One whirlwind amazing date later he had his answer: yes.