How We Met
I saw Christian for the first time during our basketball preseason my sophomore year of college. I knew he was an incoming freshman on the men’s basketball team, but not much else. I didn’t actually get a chance to talk to him until Halloween 2013. Wearing a black crew neck t-shirt, dollar store gloves and cat ears I was clearly a sight for sore eyes (NOT). The party was very loud, it made hearing anyone difficult—let alone someone with a thick Australian accent. So, when Christian began talking to me I admit we had to be quite close. And then, out of nowhere, this Australian boy I have just met decides to kiss me. Right there, in front of everyone! Cheeky boy. I didn’t end up speaking to Christian again after that until I say him in our cafeteria where I accosted him with a “Hey!” to which replied with a giggle and a smirk. And for some unknown reason, that was the beginning of a yearlong friendship.
Slowly we became inseparable. It started with texting. Then we started spending time together. Eventually, it was a full-blown friendship. Regardless of what our friends suggested, it was incomprehensible that either of us would have actual feelings for the other. It wasn’t until I dropped Christian off at the airport, to return to Australia, at the end of his freshman year that we realized how much we loved each other.
We continued to Skype and text over the course of summer 2014. In July, of that summer Christian confessed his feelings for me. I remember it clearly because I was working as a summer custodian to help pay for my tuition. He was texting with me as I was scrubbing a toilet. It must have looked strange to see someone grinning so widely who was elbow deep in a toilet bowl.
Upon his return to the USA in September of 2014 we decided to begin dating, and the rest is history.
How They Asked
I flew to visit Christian’s hometown of Sydney from Santa Barbara, CA in May of 2018. A few days before my visit was to conclude he told me that we would climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge (which I did not even know was possible). That day was perfect, we took the ferry from Manly into the city, ate a delicious pancake breakfast and headed over to the bridge for our afternoon climb. As we were waiting for our climbing instructor I burst into tears and cried to Christian about how I was so sad that my trip was coming to an end and how I was already beginning to miss him; all to which he laughed! Fortunately, I was able to suppress my emotions and enjoy our climb. Once we arrived at the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge Christian and I took a photo together (1st picture), immediately after which he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him! I was so surprised and ecstatic. It was then I realized why he laughed when I voiced my sadness because he knew that we were about to begin our forever journey just a few hours later. I never thought I would climb the bridge with my boyfriend and come down with my fiance!
P.S. Christian later confirmed that he was more nervous about climbing the bridge than about proposing. :)
Eight months later I moved across the world to Sydney to be with him. We were married this past September 1st, 2018 in my hometown of Santa Barbara, California. We currently live in Cairns, Australia where we were lucky enough to play opposite one another again after college..except this time at the semi-professional level! Since then Christian has been lucky enough to play in the NBL, which is the highest level in Australia.
