We met in grad school and were friends for a few years before we started dating. We shared an office during Susan's first few years of grad school, where she'd hear Jason's frequent sighs through the cubicle wall and where she once made him laugh so hard that he fell out of his chair.

The first time we hung out together, we walked across campus to hear Amiri Baraka perform with a live jazz band. We quickly grew to appreciate each other's sense of humor and curiosity. That close friendship has been the foundation of our relationship; we've been together for almost eight years now, including four years of long distance (three of which involved navigating a three-hour time difference). Susan drags Jason on arduous hikes, and Jason makes Susan watch the same YouTube videos over and over. When we're married, Jason will probably make Susan watch more Criterion Collection films, and she'll force him to watch bad action flicks; his discipline will (maybe) encourage her to work out more, and she'll get Jason to pick up a few new hobbies and volunteer activities. We enjoy exploring and adventuring, and we also enjoy doing nothing together. We help each other become better versions of ourselves.