Our fun little story-it still makes me smile every time I think about it.

After my junior year of college, I interned in D.C. for Rep. Rick Allen. On my very first day, I walked up to the office door, and it opened... and there stood Zach. All summer, I thought he was the sweetest, most charming guy, but as an intern, I never thought anything could come of it. Still, I had a feeling there might be something there—especially when he found out I loved crosswords and surprised me with one he made for my birthday.

But after the internship, I headed back to Athens for my senior year at UGA, and life moved on. Then football season rolled around. It was the weekend of the UGA vs. USC Border Bash when I got a text: “Hello, I’ll be in Athens this weekend.” My heart skipped a beat—Zach Stokes. We made plans for dinner, ended up spending the whole evening together, and honestly, the rest is history.

He went back to D.C., but we’ve talked every single day since. And on New Year’s Eve 2021—just as 2022 began—he officially asked me out.

Crazy how life works sometimes, right?