We went to prom together...just not with each other! Maddie came to Loyola High School prom with one of Danny's close friends, Brad — we still talk about how much fun we had that night, how different our hair looked back then, and how crazy it was that our paths would cross again. Seven years later, Danny came to the Esperanza Center for his first day of volunteering, and swore that he knew that girl over there from somewhere. About a year after that, Maddie was interviewing Danny for a job, and we ended up coworkers.

The early flirty days involved seeing each other out at salsa nights in Baltimore, grabbing drinks, and going to events around town as we got to know each other as more than just coworkers. Then the COVID-19 pandemic began, sending everyone into their pods — all of a sudden, we weren't sure if it was safe to see each other. Our date nights turned into zoom movie nights and long hikes, masked and socially distanced, a three-month period we fondly refer to as our "courtship." Once we realized we were spending more time with each other in a pandemic than with our inner circle friends and family, we gave up social distancing from one another and our relationship became official July 19, 2020. Something about getting through the stress and anxiety of COVID made us think we could kick it up a notch. So we decided to take a leap of faith and travel the world together! After quitting our jobs, moving our belongings into a storage unit, and fitting the essentials into a couple overstuffed backpacks, we set off. The road brought memorable experiences, unique challenges, and opportunities to grow as individuals and a couple. Visiting 10 countries in 10 months also gave us the confidence and hope to keep our adventures going, into building our lives together upon our return to the USA.

Little did Maddie know that Danny had been scheming and bought a ring in Cusco, Peru back in December 2022. Danny waited for the right moment, and asked the big question at the end of our time in Spain. We had just finished 5 days of hiking 90km of the Camino from Santiago de Compostela, finishing in Fisterra, known as "the end of the world." Looking over the most beautiful sunset, Danny got Maddie good, helping her bring in her 31st birthday with the most special gift of a proposal. Three days later, on May 12, Maddie proposed to Danny in Rome. After a lovely day of visiting the Roman Colosseum, eating homemade pasta and gelato and enjoying a bottle of wine over the Piazza del Pópolo, Maddie proposed to Danny through squeaky tears of joy. With the amazing help of a local Italian man singing cheesy love songs with a speaker on wheels (unplanned, Maddie swears), we danced the night away, showing our rings to anyone who looked our way. Thank you for being such a special part of our community. Whether we get to see you at our wedding day or not, we are grateful and excited to give and receive from you all as part of our community of loved ones into our married years. Cheers and we hope to see you soon in Baltimore!