It was 2009, and I was grabbing breakfast on a Saturday morning in Northwest Dining Hall at UConn. Jaime noticed me from across the room. We had met briefly for a minute on the UConn football field during the opening of the last game. A mutual friend (and now best friend) Carlos Perez, who happened to be sitting with him, introduced Jaime to me. Soon after we met Jaime began to invite me to study in the library and meet for coffee. I remember thinking about how easy it felt to talk to him, and how I genuinely enjoyed his company. He went on a humanitarian mission with the Army in the Dominican Republic right before the semester ended. We talked almost every night while he was there. When he returned, we planned our first date and the rest is history!
—Yami
Our first official date, Jaime took me into the city. I loved the city but only knew a small part of it. Jaime, being a New York native, planned our day. My favorite part? Spontaneously going to the New York Library. It was a semi-rainy day and we were walking past the New York Public Library, when I mentioned I had never gone inside to see how it looked. Without missing a beat Jaime said “really? Let’s go in!”. As we walked through the building (with me in absolute amazement of the beautiful marble structure) Jaime lead me to one of the floors where we were able to see the bookshelves. As we walked into one of the rooms, he noticed we were by the poetry section and recognized an author. He pulled the book off the shelf and thumbed through a few pages, before stopping and reading some of the poetry. After we left the Library, we got caught in a downpour. Thankfully we found a street vendor and bought an umbrella but at that point we were already soaked. The best part? We found a coffee shop nearby, and dried off inside, over a cup of delicious cappuccino. To this day, we still find local cafe to grab a cup of coffee while in the city or after a local event.
—Yami
On September 12th, 2020, celebrating 12 years of adventures together, we returned to where it all started; New York City. A walk in the Highline, a picnic on a bench, the warm sun above us, and not a clue what was in the bag. We took a sail around the harbor enjoying the sunset in front of lady liberty. When I got on one knee, here comes the Staten island ferry and almost ruins the moment. The boat rocking back and forth, we are both holding on to dear life, She refused to stand up, so I improvised and while we were kneeling, asked her to marry me. After a "What?!" from her, and repeating myself, she realized what I had on my hand, and with tears in her eyes, she said "Yes!"
—Jaime
Jaime and I enjoy the outdoors. We fell in love with Maine and New Hampshire on our first trip out north together. We have been there almost every year, in different seasons since. There’s just something magical about the mountains. The air, that first mountainside cup of coffee, the waterfall hikes, the beauty of the mountain side, the laid back not in the city feeling. It was only natural that once we adopted our fur-baby Luna that we take her up north. The best part? Luna is now our best hiking partner. Mountain top picnics in New Hampshire after a hike are the best, especially with the view of Mount Washington—-just the three of us. —Yami
Although 2020 brought a lot of unexpected challenges )and long days/nights for us working in healthcare throughout a pandemic), it also brought positive changes. We started to take advantage of what we had learned was invaluable—time with loved ones. We created memories, and found joy in the small things. We grew our love of the outdoors. And we made an addition to our family: our pup Luna. Luna was rescued from Tennessee. From the start she was the sweetest—albeit mischievous—puppy. Was it challenging raising a puppy in the middle of a pandemic while we both remained working? Yes. However she brought a grounding joy, as she allowed us to unplug and truly live in each moment. It’s hard to worry about the world outside of your control when you are chasing a puppy around the house with her new “stick” (piece of wooden furniture). She brought unconditional love and laughter after a long day of work, and cuddles that just melted your stress and anxiety away. They still do. She’s our LunaBear.