Chase and I are high school sweethearts. We met for the first time at the end of our sophomore year of high school volunteering after school for an event. Over the next year or so we got to know each other a little bit more and the conversations that we had with each other were always uplifting and fun. He was such a sweet boy and I loved being in his company. Those conversations soon turned into group outings, many hours of tennis and disc golf together, and time spent getting to know each others' families.
Going into our senior year of high school I did not think that I wanted to enter into a dating relationship. I was taking a heavy load of schoolwork, applying to different colleges, and the thought of having to possibly end a relationship with a person who I had come to enjoy and respect because of distance and growing apart was not something I was ready and willing to do. At the same time Chase and I really had grown close and during our senior year we decided to take the plunge and begin to tread the dating pool waters.
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| High School Days |
I decided to go to NC State for my undergrad career. Chase was torn between VT, Charlotte, and NC State for engineering. He ended up (to my relief) choosing to go to NC State. He said while we were in high school that it was because it was the best engineering school in the state. Later on he would confess that it was also because he could not imagine not following the girl he was slowly falling in love with. College was an amazing period of our lives where we grew up, grew our relationship together, and made tons of amazing memories. It was really hard sometimes, but we took the bad times in stride and worked through different things and learned to love each other through our faults. Before we knew it graduation was upon us.
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| College Days |
Well my graduation that is. Chase decided to take an extra semester to graduate in order to take time to focus on his classes and learn the most that he could to be the best employee he could be after graduation. With my undergrad career over and my vocational calling leading me away from Raleigh to go to graduate school, our close relationship of the past four and a half years quickly turned into a long distance relationship full of commutes, emails, phone calls, and FaceTime.
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| Graduation |
It was stretching time, but one that I would not have traded for the world. It was in this time that we sat down and had a long discussion about life, goals, and ambitions. This discussion led us to the decision to pursue a marriage relationship. After many prayers and long days Chase finally got a job with an amazing engineering firm which had an office in the same city where I am finishing graduate school. About a month after Chase made the big move, after we both settled back into this new routine of living in the same city, and after some time to get used to new jobs, Chase asked me to marry him.
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| Reunited Again |
It was the perfect proposal for us. I had always thought I would have liked a more public proposal. However after having an intimate dinner just with the two of us talking about life, and hearing Chase take his time telling me how much he loved and cared about me before proposing, I realized that I was wrong and that having this as something we shared together was perfect.
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| Newly Engaged |
We both have loved where these past five and a half years have taken us on our relationship journey and are excited about this next step in life. Everything is still so new and we have enjoyed this past week sharing the news with family and friends. I am sure there are so many more things we will learn as our years tick by together. For now though I thought I would share a few lessons we have learned about deciding to be engaged "young" as some people have termed it. Some things are funny, others are serious, but all have taught us to take life with a smile and just enjoy the moment that we are living in!
- School and work still goes on even if time stops in your mind -
- People will want to see the ring more often than wanting to ask about you and your fiancé -
- Take all the vendor recommendations that you can because wedding planning is crazy -
- Lean on your friends and family and let them share in the joy with you -
- Start thinking in terms of we and not me -
- Yes it is possible be married and in grad school -
- Enjoy your engagement and don't forget that this is a fun time to prepare your souls for a lifetime together -
Happy Valentines week to everybody. Remember that this week does not have to be about being in a relationship. Take time to pamper yourself, your friends, and your family. EVERYBODY deserves to be shown love, not just your significant other :)
Have a Blessed Journey!
-S
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