We met on March 9th, 2016. This was also the day before Brian's birthday. Very quickly, we realized that we had a lot in common and also some exciting differences. We were talking for so long that eventually it became his birthday and Shahed got to wish him a happy birthday! It wasn't much later that Brian learned that Shahed is an April Fool who prefers to celebrate her birthday for the entire month. Throughout the years, we learned about and immersed ourselves in each other's cultures. Brian learned some Arabic words and phrases, and Shahed learned how to make oxtail. No matter the obstacle, our love fueled and challenged us to bring out the best in each other to overcome and achieve as one powerful force. It may have been our values that brought us together, but it's our differences that keep us balanced. One thing we really enjoyed as a couple is traveling the world. So far, we have explored the US, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean and can't wait to go do more. The adventurous one, Shahed has become Brian's (and his family's and everyone else's) favorite travel agent, as she is someone who is great at managing trips. A bit of an over-thinker, Brian is great at joining the trip after long deliberation of weighing the pros and cons. We are excited to embark on our journey as husband and wife knowing that we have a lot of great family and friends that support us and our process!