Embedded Files
The Beginning
God Bless E*** H****
Our beloved invisible string, to which I owe my life, eternal happiness, and firstborn child. Unfortunately, I cannot provide the latter as I detest anything pertaining to the idea of childbirth (and maybe even children themselves). Regardless, where would we be without our one (1) single mutual? If only we had another at the time!
"That's Just Aj, You'll Get Used To It"
Famous words spoken to you by Amanda while I was isolating myself outside on the balcony due to overheating. Maybe I was just hot, maybe the idea of meeting you subconsciously set my body into overdrive, or maybe it was a secret third thing. Either way, we pretty much met one another with a living room and kitchen separating us (how romantic). I hope you've not only gotten used to "Aj," but instead are rather ready for a lifetime of it :-)
The Pita Bread Incident
Has Hungry's ever had free pita bread and dips since that night? Did they ever have free pita bread and dips? I'm not sure, but I do know I had a lot of free pita bread and dips that night.
The Missing Piece
Unrequited Love
Does this need any further elaboration?
The Birthday Party That Never Happened (You Weren't There)
Dinner and an escape room (haha, nice touch, right?) the night before, a joint Taylor Swift themed birthday party the following day, what more could a girl ask for? Apparently a river......
Our First Sleepover (You Weren't There Either)
My first time sleeping in your Houston room! Different than I expected. Mostly because you weren't there (but I won't hold this one against you). The blackout curtains were a lovely touch, though. 10/10. No notes.
Our Almost First NYE (You Still Weren't There)
New Year's Eve, the best night of the year! The crocs were out, the (evermore) drinks were flowing, the pandemic was running rampant according to everyone but those registered as Republicans and with below-average intellect (is the Venn diagram a circle?), and it was just missing one thing: you </3
The Start of Something New
Historically Straight
Everyone can stay up to date with the LGBT+ TikTok drama, right? I was plotting before I even knew what the plot was. That will probably go down in history as the time that I was the most careful with my choice of words! Again, 10/10, no notes.
Not-So-Subtle Foreshadowing at Austin Pride
All of your heterosexual friends came to support you at Pride, how sweet! That weekend, you were able to witness my excellent bartending skills, roam around in the hot Texas sun to purchase me the best fan of all time, watch me lose my ever-loving mind on the horrible swing ride (ironically, I was the only one thereafter that didn't get sick), and learn you were a ~fuck boy~. What more could a girl ask for?
Fletcher is So Hot
The famous birthday gift. Is it not totally platonic to gift someone a custom shirt that says "[their name] is so hot"? Well, if not, that is news to me! The shirt even received Fletcher's approval (after a brief jaw-dropping moment when she first saw it). This is perhaps the most famous relic of our relationship. Amazing what a platonic birthday gift can turn into.
Let's Get Railed at P!NK
Oh ACL, you're always a mediocre music festival, but you're a good time, nonetheless! I'm glad you were able to air out & freshen up your car prior to retrieving me from the airport. Thankfully you did that in a totally normal, chill way! I'm also glad we were able to share the magic of P!NK with our friends, and gain a song that has become integral to all of our future celebrations in the process. Let's Raise (y)Our Glass to Rachel, Bailey the chaotic golden doodle, the movie The VVitch (that you swore I recommended and said I loved), the movie You Again (that I actually love), the "Did you guys share the air mattress? You know there's a couch, right?", and our first instance of ever changing flights just to stay with each other a bit longer :-)
Fletcher is So Hot x2
The famous Chicago trip. Our hotel with an absolutely sublime location. The totally normal phone calls. The first Fletcher concert. Fat Cat, before and after said concert (you'll always be iconic). The ride back to the hotel (still not sure how neither of us became violently ill). The walk to finish the remainder of our journey to the hotel at like 2:30 AM in Chicago. The d*f******** thereafter. The second instance of us changing flights. Your first time in STL!!!!
NYC is For Homoerotic Friendships & Lovers
A trip we planned in September, even before Fletcher day, how magical. What a wild thing for us to do. But hey, it worked out okay in the end I think :-)
p.s. I LOVE YOU
The Continuation of What Was Previously New
Our First NYE
We finally got our first NYE together! And it happened to be the same night we learned that sad Taylor Swift songs can still really set the mood. We've luckily been able to spend every NYE together ever since :-)
Should We Get Table Fries?
This one really could've gone in many places, but Barrio and our table fries became such an integral part of our time in STL together that they deserved their own shoutout :-) I am thankful for Barrio and Dan for helping to cement our wonderful times together in that city! And may we one day live in a little neighborhood that even comes close to how wonderful our beloved Demun was.
H********* W******
Ah, old white Republicans. Utterly useless "friends" (?). Our favorite! Thankfully, you had my dress to use for all of your tissue-related needs. And we did at least get a nice dance or two together before we made our exit :-)
Mexico, We Love You
The place that inspired our future nuptials. The birth of full shit. The trip we realized how much we need a pool at our future home. The excellent mango margaritas. The Cancun airport where we had no idea how difficult it would end up being for us that we were at two separate terminals. The pretzels that you were just slightly too late to get a piece of. The trip that brought us closer together than ever and that I will always be grateful for :-)
The Final US Moments
The good news is that I totally prepped my apartment and got things ready for the movers with weeks to spare, so it didn't even matter that I took a lovely trip to the ER for eight hours before they arrived in like 1.5 days. At least we got some wonderful final memories in STL during my last days there, including a new favorite hotel and breakfast spot. I hope Dan doesn't still think I lost my wallet and passport right before my international move. Silly me.
Chicago was its own debacle/gift, between us almost missing our train, the worst train ride that has ever existed, your sublet from hell, walking with like 78 suitcases through the streets of Chicago, the wonderfully large carrot cake I got, and our first conference with you as my conference date, it was certainly a trip!!!
Thankfully, we had a great last day & night in Dallas after you rerouted your flights to come stay with me :-) sorry that you learned I was so hateful, and it came from ****, someone who knows me SO WELL and can tell you I had an extremely normal childhood with no signs at all of a*****, so you know it's true </3
The International Love Affair
Baby's First Europe Trip
The first of your many days spent in Europe! And the first of many times you were done at the flughafen before I made it there (lol). Our first London trip together, first trips exploring Switzerland, first times having fondue & raclette, first time meeting The Boys™️, just a splendid time all around!
"Prettier Than Expected"
What can I say, I am batting above my average. Playing in a league I am not qualified for. Every other version of that statement. Thank god I'm funny!
Secular Christmas is the Best Christmas
Christmas in Europe > Christmas in the US. Enough said ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (plus, we would've never discovered truffle chippies if it weren't for our wonderful Stockholm trip)
Turns Out I Can Live with Another Person as Long as It's You
Remember when you stayed in Zürich so long that they tallied up your days in Europe when you tried flying back to the US? They're so silly. During that trip, we managed to go to Paris (!!!), see Maisie & Reneé (after I bought tickets myself first, lmfao), and just live together so happily :-) which was very important considering I had no idea how well I'd do with sharing space with another person for the rest of my life. But, as the title of this little section implies, turns out it was as easy and natural as it could be as long as it was you I was doing it with!!!
I Love You & I Love Merch
Remember when I bought you like a closet-worth of merch that was branded specifically to a residency program that you hadn't yet matched at and had your name embroidered all over it? I do! Unlike you, though, I never had any doubts that you'd end up exactly where you wanted :-) (which explains why I preemptively bought all of the custom #merch that is quite honestly still better than anything I've seen come from the official source...)
The Worst Food City That Ever Lived
F*** the Flughafen
My first journey to Boston. The heartbreak that ensued. Most efficient, organized airport my ass. We could've been a power couple, @ZRH Flughafen, now I just dream of the day that I will never set foot in you again.
Oh, and British Airways, I still pray daily to my god, Taylor Swift, that your company and entire enterprise will, metaphorically and literally, burn to ash.
#1 in Education, Unranked in Food
I don't know what could have possibly happened in the history of Massachusetts to where the people with the worst culinary skills imaginable decided to settle there, but it happened. I put them as unranked in food and not ranked last in food because they're truly so awful that they weren't even in consideration for a ranking on the list. I now realize that the inhabitants of New England are THE stereotypical white people that cannot cook. Horrible. May whichever god they believe in grant them forgiveness one day, because it sure as hell isn't coming from me.
In Cape Cod or On Cape Cod?
Prepositions can be so tricky. It's all semantics at some point. Although I'm sure there is still an objectively correct answer.....
Anyways, cold water, expensive as hell, one (1) route you can take to access the area... I must have missed the hype somewhere along our journey.... but they do have lobster rolls! And putt putt! And an arcade (plus a smaller business that I don't think can rightfully be called an arcade)! And a candy store (that portions and prices things by weight but can't tell you how much a hypothetical quantity of something of X weight would be? Weird. Not my problem).
Baby Bruno
Our beloved boy. The ideal family dog. The silliest and cutest guy around. Somehow allergic to chicken. Almost died from cyanide poisoning from hydrangeas. And he just won't stop growing. I can't wait to have our Benny (and Chappy!) someday :-)
The Cowardly Christmas
The games. The sangria. The ones that didn't last (rip). Some nice last moments with sweet Tucky. I think Christmas is inarguably the worst holiday (maybe tied with Easter), but it isn't half bad as long as I'm with you :-)
The End (Of Not Being Betrothed)
I Really Hate Houston
Enough said. I need a job? I got a job offer? From the one R1 university that was actually finally in a city with a children's hospital (or like seven)? I turned it down because (among other things) it was in Houston? Crazy. However, I stand by the fact that Houston is THAT bad. But good thing me continuing to explore other options meant we wouldn't end up anywhere near Houston again, right???
Baby Got Gainful Employment (Again)
Well, nevermind! But hey, maroon is an exquisite color. I've always hated the cold, anyways. And, most importantly, I'm STILL not in Houston!
Honey, We're Moving Back to Texas
And since I am heading back down to our favorite red (actually quite purple) state, I think this also means you can go back to your beloved hospital :-)
Good thing we did a test run of other options beforehand.... because, for me personally, they are a no <3 (deplorable vibes all around tbh, not to mention the horrendous food if you've forgotten that bit already)
Also, I'm glad we've finally decided which end of the spectrum of our ~neighbors~ we'd like to deal with.... because I was endlessly crashing out looking at the towns of 500 to 3,000 people.... again, for me personally, that's a no <3
Time For Forever
So, we've got the job(s), the place, the timeline, the future house/pool/dogs, now I just need the girl :-)
Wanna spend forever together? ♥
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!
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