Justin and Sarah’s story began in late June 2022, when they met online. What they didn’t realize at the time was how close their lives had been all along. They soon discovered that their grandparents grew up just one street apart in Baltimore City. As if that wasn’t enough, Justin and Sarah had spent their childhoods just four minutes apart in Pasadena, Maryland—just enough distance to keep them in different schools.

Sarah was born only four days after Justin, and while she fondly remembers listening to Good Charlotte, watching The Nightmare before Christmas, playing Spyro The Dragon and crabbing with her family... Justin was listening to Linkin Park, collecting Pokémon, playing Counter-Strike, and going on countless fishing trips with his family. It’s almost poetic how their childhood memories intersect. They both share a deep love for the water and animals, inspired by Steve Irwin, which guided Justin's passion for marine life and Sarah’s history of working in veterinary care.

It was clear from their shared interests and experiences that their connection was meant to be. On January 1, 2024, at the stroke of midnight: Justin proposed to Sarah during a New Year's Eve celebration with his family, presenting her with a ring that has been in his family for over a century. Without hesitation, Sarah said “YES!”

Their journey getting to each other hasn’t always been easy—Justin’s need for a deep connection and Sarah’s desire for understanding and sensitivity have been individual challenges, finally conquered - together.