Our story began at the University of Iowa, where we would often see each other on the west side of campus, home to both the College of Dentistry and the College of Nursing. After months of hoping for an excuse to finally talk, we met at a hot yoga class in the fall of 2019. Just as things were beginning to take off in Iowa City, the pandemic shifted both of our programs online, and we found ourselves back home in Naperville with our families. What could have been a time of distance instead became the start of something meaningful, as we spent the next few months hanging out together at our childhood homes, taking classes online, grabbing coffee, and going on long walks through the Morton Arboretum.

In a season that felt so uncertain, we found something steady in each other. As life gradually returned to normal, our relationship continued to grow, even as we spent the next two years doing long distance while Grace worked night shifts at Rush Hospital in Chicago. Through it all, we learned how to support one another and build something lasting despite the distance and opposite schedules.

After Grant finished at the University of Iowa, we moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to begin the next chapter of our lives together. What started with passing moments on campus and a chance meeting in a yoga studio has grown into a life we are incredibly proud of and a shared excitement for everything ahead.