The Beginning

April 2020 was the very beginning of the pandemic when restaurants and bars were no longer allowed to accommodate dining in– not the most conducive conditions for arranging a first date, but they managed to find a way.

At this stage in their lives, Michelle and Grant were on two very different paths. A few years prior, Michelle had moved to Sacramento to pursue a career in the California State Senate. This was a curious move as she had graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Registered Nursing, but working in state politics and policy gave her a sense of joy and fulfillment. Grant had just completed his third year of medical school training in southern California. Unfortunately (but in hindsight very fortunately), due to the pandemic, Grant had to move back to his hometown of Roseville, where he planned to complete his fourth year clinical training requirement for graduation. If it weren’t for a global pandemic, Grant would have remained in southern California for his training, and Michelle and Grant would have likely never crossed paths.

The Date

For their first date, Michelle suggested that they grab takeout at Roxie Deli in East Sacramento and walk over to McKinley Park. Grant was enthusiastic and agreed to the plan. Roxie Deli is not only one of the best sandwich spots in Sacramento but also happened to be located a few blocks from Michelle’s highly protective older cousin’s house who had a golf club and an equally protective dog sidekick just in case things went sideways. Michelle and Grant had connected through a dating app; through that app they had conversed with one another over the course of a few weeks. This date would be the first time they met in-person.

They found a bench to plop down on in the park and for hours had become enveloped in conversation, so much so that ants ended up eating Grant’s neglected takeout– Grant didn’t seem to mind. As their first date came to a close, Grant mentioned, “If I could rate this first date, it would be a 9.9 out of 10.” Under usual circumstances Michelle would have found a 9.9 acceptable, but these were not usual circumstances. Puzzled, Michelle thought, “Where is my missing 0.1?” Before she could muster up a response, Grant clarified, “Only a 9.9 because I wish we were able to sit at a restaurant, otherwise everything else was perfect.”

By their second date, no getting-to-know-each-other questions were off-limits. Every topic arbitrarily deemed as “unconventional” for the preliminary stage of dating was up for discussion, from politics to religion, and money to “kids or no kids.” To keep with the spirit of concluding their dates by saying something that catches Michelle off-guard, Grant let it be known that he was not dating anyone else– with a demure sense of relief Michelle seconded that. Their first several dates continued to be this exhilarating and inexplicably joyful line of questioning, which to this day they still fondly look back on.

They soon recognized that their values and goals were very much aligned, even though their interests and lived experiences couldn’t have been more different. They grew to really appreciate this dynamic in their relationship, that they are similar enough to feel in step with one another, but different enough that they often teach each other something new.

The Move

Fast forward to March 2023, Michelle and Grant moved into their first apartment together in San Francisco. At this stage in their lives, Grant was in the process of finishing his third and final year of internal medicine residency as chief resident; he had also recently matched at his top choice, the University of California San Francisco Nephrology Fellowship Program. Around the same time, Michelle accepted a promotion advancing her career in state child care and development policy. Though her office remains in Sacramento, Michelle is fortunate enough to work remotely (with the occasional in-person meetings or conference). There was a sense of elation and ease as they moved in together; from the trajectory of their careers to the neighborhood they chose to settle in. The timing of this new chapter couldn’t have felt more right.

Living in San Francisco makes them feel as if the world is at their doorstep, and that even something as routine as running an odd errand can become a grand adventure. It’s difficult to condense what makes the city so special to them; it’s the people, the food, the nature, the culture, everything. Michelle and Grant are very thankful in this season of their lives and that they are able to call the city their home.

The Proposal

Michelle and Grant have spent the past couple of years humouring the idea of travelling to Japan together. They had both visited separately once before and longed to return. February 2024, they made it happen. For two weeks they traversed Japan via plane, train, and foot. From their time in Niseko snowboarding through snow so pristine it would make Tahoe weep, to Tokyo’s immersive technicolor nightlife, to Osaka’s limitless fanfare of food corridors. They spent every moment of every day captivated.

As their trip began to wind down, they travelled to a small hot spring town in the countryside. Michelle and Grant’s early morning voyage involved several connecting trains all while hauling their brimming luggages along. Once they arrived at their hotel they dropped off their belongings at the front desk as they were too early to check in. Instead of relaxing in the lobby or leisurely perusing novelty shops nearby, Grant broached the idea of going on a hike to see a waterfall on the outskirts of town. With much reluctance, Michelle joined Grant, but still felt grumpy about it.

As they approached the end of the trail, the waterfall appeared to be rather modest. But the area was peaceful, and breathing in the crisp air and listening to the creek below was very pleasant. Without missing a beat Grant reached for his phone, “we have to take a photo together with the waterfall,” he said. He proceeded to invest a few minutes into balancing his phone on a couple of loose rocks. This behavior was out-of-character for Grant and it did not go unnoticed. He walked back to Michelle and instead of looking at the camera to take a photo, he looked at her. “This is not how I had originally planned on doing this… You have seen me through some of the most difficult moments in my life… and I want to keep doing this with you forever.”