Wedding Date on Sep 5, 2021

OUR STORY, WHEN WE WRITE IT DOWN, ISN’T THE LIKELIEST OF SUCCESS STORIES. A ZIMBABWEAN AND AN AMERICAN... UNLIKELY, BUT DEFINITELY POSSIBLE. A GORGEOUS SENIOR AND A CHEEKY SOPHOMORE. (HAPPENS ALL THE TIME I’M SURE). WHO ONLY START DATING A MONTH BEFORE THE SENIOR GRADUATES. (OK, GETTING LESS LIKELY). AND MOVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY (YIKES, DISTANCE IS TOUGH). AND SPEND FOUR OF THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS DOING LONG DISTANCE. (NOT LOOKING GOOD FOR YOU TWO). NON-CONSECUTIVELY. (ARE YOU SURE YOU TWO REALLY WANT TO BE TOGETHER?). AND WAS ONLY ENDED BY A PANDEMIC (AND IMMEDIATELY LIVING TOGETHER 24/7) (OH COME ON!) ALTHOUGH A TAD COMICALLY COMPLICATED, THE ABOVE IS NOT REALLY OUR STORY. OUR STORY IS ONE OF SOULMATES. SOULMATES WHO INSTANTLY RECOGNIZED A KINDRED SPIRIT IN EACH OTHER ACROSS THE ROOM IN A HOUSE COMMITTEE MEETING IN PFOHO, AND WHO BOTH BONDED OVER THE OTHER’S SHARED VALUES AND REVELLED IN THE OTHERS ABILITY TO SURPRISE AND DELIGHT (NIX’S FIRST TEXT TO PETER WAS JUST THE WORD “WARTHOG”). AS WE’VE GROWN, WE’VE ALSO LEARNED TO APPRECIATE THAT OUR DIFFERENCES AND IMPERFECTIONS MAKE EACH OTHER HUMAN, AND WE ARE BOTH BETTER FOR IT. THE REASON OUR STORY IS A HAPPY ONE IS TWOFOLD: WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE THE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE FROM YOU, OUR FAMILY FRIENDS; AND OUR LOVE AND COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER HAS DWARFED THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE FACED. SIMPLY, EVERY DAY WE HAVE TOGETHER IS HAPPIER BECAUSE WE HAVE EACH OTHER. NIX SPENT HER SUMMER INTERNSHIP IN SAN FRANCISCO WITH PETER WHERE WE PROPOSED ON HIS HOUSE'S ROOFTOP. EVERY FEW NIGHTS WE'D GO UP TO THE ROOF AND LOOK OUT OVER THE CITY AND EAT ICE CREAM DURING SUNSET. THIS TIME PETER HAD THE RING IN HIS POCKET READY TO POP THE QUESTION (NIX ALWAYS WANTED A PRIVATE PROPOSAL, DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE AROUND, IT SORT OF FEELS LIKE A PERFORMANCE THEN AND WE DON'T LOVE THAT). BUT IT WAS SO COLD THAT EVENING THAT NIX VACUUMED UP HER ICE CREAM AND TOLD PETER TO HURRY UP BECAUSE SHE WAS CHILLY. PETER GAVE UP AND WE WENT DOWNSTAIRS TO WATCH THE FINALE OF ONE OF OUR FAVORITE TV SHOWS (NCIS -- NONE OF OUR FRIENDS GET WHY WE LOVE IT SO MUCH BUT THE CHARACTERS ARE SO DELIGHTFUL AND WE LIVE CRIME INVESTIGATION STUFF). ANYWAYS, LUCIKLY THE FINALE WAS A HAPPY ONE! SO PETER SAID LET'S GO UP TO THE ROOF AGAIN AND LOOK AT THE CITY LIGHTS. WE WENT OUT AND AS SOON AS WE GOT OUT THERE PETER GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE AND ASKED THE QUESTION. NIX SAID YES RIGHT AWAY BUT FOLLOWED IT UP WITH "WHAT DO WE DO NOW? I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE!" WHICH PETER NEVER LETS ME FORGET.