We met at Midwestern University in Arizona, where we were both pursuing a career in perfusion. We quickly became friends, despite Jason being the class clown, not knowing that we would inevitably grow closer together - bonding in the trials and tribulations of graduate school.
-- Sam
Our clinical rotations began at opposite ends of the country. Despite the distance and time changes, we would talk and text daily and even planned a few cross country visits to see each other. We both eventually landed in the Bay Area for our last rotations, right at the peak of COVID-19 in March 2020. We quickly had to adjust from being long distance to "sheltering in place" with each other 24/7.
-- Sam
From sheltering in place, we decided to move in together in the Bay Area, and after some minor set backs with my work visa, we began our life together in our Mountain View apartment (shout out to Bijan and Kuchulu).
With our stressful jobs, we only grew closer, it was great having someone who understood the difficulties of our niche jobs. I loved coming home to Sam, and it truly felt like home with her there.
We began traveling after the shelter in place orders were lifted and falling deeper in love after every trip. From Hawaii to Michigan, we traveled all over the USA, learning more and more about each other. After some time, I felt like I had the perfect opportunity to plan a proposal.
-- Jason
Our engagement was filled with a lot of close calls and spoiled secrets.
During a family trip to Tahoe, I asked Sam's parents for permission to marry her; though the meeting was cut short by a suspicious Sam walking about the house. I ultimately got the go ahead from her parents, and with that my planning began.
I worked with a jeweler, and after combing through what had to be hundreds of diamonds, chose the one and had it shipped to our apartment. Unfortunately, the ring was delivered while Sam was home, but I told her it was for her birthday and hid it somewhere in the apartment.
I planned our engagement for our Greece trip for Sam's 30th birthday. As careful as I was, during a slip in judgement, Sam saw a brief photo of the travel insurance for the ring! I (unsuccessfully) tried to gas light Sam into thinking it was her birthday gift she saw; a pair of earrings (that I eventually bought to give to her before our trip to really sell the story).
Sam would later tell me she knew it was the ring.
Despite the hiccup, we would go on our Greece trip and on the day of the engagement we began to walk to a fancy dinner in Santorini. A hidden photographer, of which I had yet to meet, would direct us to the scenic rooftops where the photos would be taken. I used the crowded streets to get ahead of Sam and meet with the photographer briefly to see exactly where we would be going and rushed back to a still unsuspecting Sam. What I did not foresee was Sam would not come onto the rooftops labelled "DO NOT CLIMB".
After what seemed like forever, Sam would finally climb onto the roof where she was surprised with me on one knee, diamond ring in hand.
--Jason