Andrew and Tiff

He Says

Although we had grown up in the same town, in the same school, on the same streets—and I'm sure had been frequently seated near one another, what with “Cruze” and “Clements” falling so close together alphabetically—Tiff wasn't on my (admittedly narrow) radar until halfway through high school. Then all of a sudden she kept popping up everywhere. English. History. Social circles—my brother actually met her and became friends with her before Tiff and I hit it off. In the hallways. Two lockers from my own.

She became harder and harder to ignore, and, believe me, I did my best to ignore just about everyone I went to school with. There was just something about her. An almost anti-joie de vivre that really attracted my inner- (and often outer-) cynic. She'd flip the bird to my least favorite teachers, and then she'd launch into period-long naps. It was like I'd found a girl who cared less about school than I did (editor's note: Andrew is in grad school and is currently interning to become a professor).

So we started hanging out, and I, at the very least, had a good time. Our sometimes-relationship definitely made the final two years of high school more melodramatic than the first two, but it was worthwhile. And though it was difficult, it was also worthwhile to decide, at the end of the summer of 2003, to stay together going into our first year of college. And then to stay together throughout college. And then, when our paths again could have greatly diverged, it was worthwhile to pack it all up and move, together, to Alaska.

Alaska was going to be our test, though neither of us talked about it with the other in that way. I knew that if things were as good with her that year as I'd hoped they could be, as our years together had informed me how that year would play out, then I would ask her to marry me. To my surprise (cue the cheesy music), that year would prove far more incredible than I had ever expected.

I leaned on Tiff in a way I'd never leaned on anyone, in a way I'd never been comfortable leaning on anyone. I looked to her for all manner of support as we made do with next-to-nothing. I also looked to her to allow me to become my own person, both despite and because of our relationship, and to not begrudge my happiness and my successes separate from her. And, in return, I did the same. (Good thing, too, because she makes way more bank than I ever will.)

I know that going forward, Tiff and I will continue to grow together and as individuals, and I could not have a better person next to me to inform everything that comes our way.

She Says

Around the middle of junior year, it seemed like Andrew was always there when I woke up from naps in AP English and 7th-hour history. With the help of AOL Instant Messenger and a slew of late-night strolls around Cold Spring Andrew won me over with his kindness, wit, and passion.

So it made sense that despite years of up and downs, aparts and togethers, I give it a go with him in Alaska in the fall of 2007. It was undoubtedly the best decision I made that year (stacked up against another attempt at bangs and the particular route back to my seat that took me past a treacherous 4 inch stage at the Shouthouse, it wasn't a tough call).

Despite a gloomy start and a crummy apartment I found the deep and abiding friendship and love we built in Cold Spring had weathered four years, thousands of miles and hundreds of dollars in cell phone overage charges.

I made good on my promise to return from Alaska single or engaged accepting Andrew’s proposal in August 2008. There was little time to celebrate, though, since we packed up our lives and returned to the Lower 48 a few days later to start writing our next chapter in Washington, D.C.

Since settling into a new life here I’ve learned a few valuable lessons: President Josiah Bartlett was not real and searching for him will be fruitless, nature may have been my thing after all (though the Capitol, White House, and Lincoln and Washington Memorials will suffice as backdrops for now) and seeing Andrew’s excitement as he pursues his dreams is worth every boring hour I’d ever spend in a cubicle.

I can’t wait to find out where our next adventure will spit us out, but I’m thrilled to know no matter where it is, Andrew will always be there when I wake up from my nap.