We were sorted into the same residential college at Yale and started our freshman year living right on top of each other, sharing an entryway. Manuel thinks we met for the first time in the courtyard and remembers first noticing Amelia at an impromptu party in his suite, where she was dancing right across from him.

Us in the Ldub couryard at our 5 year Yale reunion

We were shy around each other at first, but gradually started hanging out more and more, often eating in the dining hall and going out dancing together.

We officially started dating after Amelia went to visit Manuel in New York over spring break.

Amelia spent the summer after our freshman year in New Haven, while Manuel was living in New York. We visited each other every weekend we could and started going on adventures together.

By the end of the summer, we both knew we were in love. Manuel was the first one to say it, but he whispered it because he was so nervous.

We continued growing together throughout college and even moved in together senior year.

The pandemic sent us home early from school before we had a chance to solidify our postgraduate plans. Amelia decided to go to Stanford for grad school and Manuel accepted a job at the NIH in Washington DC. After reuniting in DC to move Manuel into his apartment, we knew we were willing to wait as long as it took to live together again.

Manuel came to visit Amelia in California...

and Amelia went to visit Manuel in DC.

When we couldn't be together in person, we called each other on Zoom every night.

Once Manuel started medical school at NYU, we started spending more time together in New York.

Manuel proposed at one of our favorite date spots, a viewpoint overlooking the San Francisco Bay, which Amelia had only partially suspected.

Now, as we both get close to graduating, we are planning to spend the rest of our lives together, and we want to celebrate this with all the people we love most. We can't wait to see you all in Spain!