Roy and I met in 2014 in the cello section at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. My bunk mate and I gave him the affectionate code name of “Bird Boy” because we once saw him admiring a nest of bird eggs. After camp was over, I bravely texted Roy that I “liked” him, but the feeling wasn’t mutual (yet)!

Almost four years later, having both finished high school, we found ourselves at U of M. Roy was in his second year studying art, and I was a freshman studying psychology. After a college orchestra rehearsal in November 2017, I walked into Bubble Island with my cello case on my back, and none other than Roy Schmidt walked out from the back to take my order. We recognized each other immediately, but the only thing we managed to say in the moment was “whoa.” That one word, the true beginning of our love story, captures the ineffable quality of what would become our 8-year partnership. After Roy romantically said “it’s on me” and gave me a free bubble tea, I instantly went home and emailed my mom and sisters about our encounter.

On November 18, 2017, we shared our first date at Fred’s for coffee, followed by a walk to the local bookstore, Literati. We went on our first three dates within a week. In our early days, we bonded over our similar family structures and a shared love of The Avett Brothers. What stood out to us from the beginning were what we coined as “cosmic moments.” We thought things at the same time, finished each other’s sentences, and deeply understood one another.

In college, we began integrating each other into our family and friend groups. We took our first road trip to North Carolina and got a taste of what adult life together could be! We spent summers with our friends in Frankfort and we had jam sessions and dance parties at Roy’s college houses. We became “Auntie Abby” and “Uncle Roy” with the birth of our first nephew, Thomas!

After graduating, we packed up ourselves and our beloved cat Henwin, and we made the multi-day journey out to Colorado where we lived for the next two years. Roy took his first job as a production artist for a cycling company, and I began my career as a registered nurse. Our days off were spent getting Dutch Bros coffee and thrifting, enjoying our independent hobbies, hiking, and frequenting our favorite breakfast spot, The French Press. We were delighted when a pair of great horned owls chose our balcony to nest, and we marveled at the sight of owlets growing up outside our window!

In October 2022, we took a leap of faith and welcomed a puppy named Willow into our lives. Willy changed us for the better. Every day, she teaches us more about ourselves and one another.

We moved back to Ann Arbor in the summer of 2023, having grown homesick for our family and friends. Now, when not working, you can find us running together along the Huron River, strolling through the farmer’s market, and holing up at home to play music, do art, and play fetch with Willy.

In December 2024 during a trip to my hometown of Grand Rapids, Roy put his knee in the snow and asked me to marry him. He took me on a tour of various spots that had become meaningful to us over the course of our relationship, and he gave me a hand-written letter at each stop. The heartfelt tour culminated in John’s Collins Park, right in front of the apartment from which my late Grammy used to people-watch. I knew that Grammy was with us, watching our big moment from above. Our moms, Roy’s sister, and our niece and nephew came out from hiding and celebrated our engagement with us!

We are so excited to celebrate our marriage with all of our favorite, most cherished people next September. There is so much magic that awaits us: the sounds of cicadas and crickets, good food, dancing, and the peaceful swell of the lake. We’ll see you soon!