We have both lived very musical lifestyles - from high school bands to drum corps ensembles, we both have seen far and wide. Our paths crossed with The Erie Thunderbirds Drum & Bugle Corps; he played the bass drum and I was the drum major, so even though he had to look at me, he claims he noticed me the second I walked in the room on our very first day of the 2016 season. The rest is history!

I'm sorry, but yes, this is a fairy-tale proposal. I was studying abroad in Bonn, Germany; a requirement for my degree and a destination strongly encouraged by my department. Mike and I had planned a big trip for my week off --- and then he got a new job. His only opportunity for a new employee orientation landed the same Monday of our planned trip, so we had to make the responsible decision. Europe can wait a little while (I guess). We were both so heartbroken that our only chance to see each other throughout the entire 4.5 months of my trip was taken from us. Little to my knowledge, Michael was scheming behind my back with all of my friends and family to somehow create a small trip right before his orientation to still get somewhat of a visit. The biggest surprise of my life was about to unfold and I had no idea. On February 28th, 2019, my friends (three of which you'll meet at this crazy party!) helped to convince me that we "just wanted to take botanical garden pictures" before our class break started. Of course, this was the day that Mike was supposed to initially come to Europe, so I was a little down in the dumps and wasn't in the mood for pictures. Boy, was I happy that Megan and Natalie pulled me out of bed that day. We get to the gardens, find a place to take a few photos, and line up together to pose as cute as we could be. After a few photos are shot, the girls one by one started to peel away from me, but the cameras were still shooting. I started to be my normal awkward self, trying to shy away while wondering why I was still being photographed so heavily. Me shying away turned me away from the cameras, and to my utter shock and surprise - there he was. Just waiting, with the biggest grin on his face, my favorite guy in the world. After a handful of tears and an extremely long hug. he got down on one knee and muttered "I couldn't come all this way without asking you to be my wife." And here we are!