It’s Monday and I already feel so behind on ALL the things. But hey – there’s a cute dog and an adorable romance (that started at my alma mater! We Are!) and LOVE on today’s post. So let’s just focus on that. Happy Monday Romancers.
Drew and I met my freshman, his sophomore, year at Penn State University. We lived down the hall from each other, but were very much acquaintances. After my first year, I decided to transfer to be closer to home at the University of Maryland. At that point, Drew and I remained Facebook friends until about 10 years later when he moved to DC. He sent me a message prior to moving asking for advice on where to live– which I ignored! A few years later, he started randomly liking my photos on Facebook, which inspired me to send him a message asking how he had been. From there, we met for happy hour and the rest, as they say, is history.
Drew and I initially connected over a shared interest in running and travel. When we reconnected, we realized that over the years we had been in many of the same races– just didn’t realize the other person was there. We continue to love to be active together, whether that is running marathons, hiking to Everest Base Camp, or just exploring DC with our dog. Drew and I also love to travel!What makes us unique? Drew and I are very much opposites. He is a pragmatic engineer, I am an empathetic fundraiser for a cancer center. We are similar in our view of marriage and the role of a partner to inspire, support, and push the other to be the best version of themselves.
The proposal was a complete surprise to me, and took place where I work, Georgetown University. On a random Friday, Drew offered to drive me to work so he could easily meet me in the city for an early birthday dinner later that day. When he saw my ‘casual Friday’ outfit, he gently suggested that I pack a dress to change into for our dinner. As the day was ending, Drew texted that he was already close by, and to meet him in front of the main gates on campus, which was strange, given our previous discussion. As I got to the main gates, I saw our dog, Charlie, running towards me with some sort of sign around her neck. I wasn’t able to read the sign until I got closer, which read: Justine, Will You Marry Me? At that point, I noticed Drew, who was down on one knee. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Drew had orchestrated to have a photographer hiding in the bushes to capture the moment, along with a surprise dinner with friends afterwards.
