More than seven years ago, Julian was living in San Juan, Puerto Rico, while Arielle had just returned home to New Jersey after finishing graduate school in London.

They first crossed paths on a dating app while Arielle was vacationing with her sister in San Juan. About a month later, Julian had the chance to take a long weekend off work and decided to visit New York City for the first time — with the exciting bonus of meeting Arielle in person.

They quickly bonded over a shared love of travel and discovering new and interesting restaurants. Over the next year, they took turns visiting each other between Puerto Rico and New Jersey, making the most of long weekends and holidays together.

When the pandemic arrived, Julian’s work in San Juan came to an end, and a new opportunity opened up in Washington, D.C. Arielle happily joined the adventure, and together they navigated an unforgettable chapter of life — quarantined in a Columbia Heights apartment, finding joy in small moments and new routines.

Looking back, they’re grateful for all the experiences that came before — adventures, distance, and change — because those years built the strong foundation that brought them here today.