Our Story
8 items for 8 years
We thought that the best way to share a bit of our story is to pick one item for each year we’ve been together. Each of these items represents an important moment in our relationship.
Campbell’s Double Noodle Soup
Rachel returned to Boston after winter break with a cold and found a surprise when she arrived on campus. Knowing the key to Rachel’s quick recovery, Ian came prepared with a care package that included the best canned soup known to mankind.
Bowling Pins
With the end of Ian’s time at Emerson fast approaching, Ian and Rachel had to figure out what the future of their relationship would look like. Naturally, the conversation came up at the perfect time: ten minutes before arriving at a friend’s birthday party at a bowling alley. Spoiler alert: they decided to make it work and stay together.
Road Map
After Rachel graduated, she decided to move to New York to start her career and be closer to Ian who was already in the city. Ian flew to Chicago, rented a minivan, loaded up Rachel’s belongings, and the pair roadtripped from Chicago to NYC.
Moving in Together
That road trip from Chicago to NYC was in February of 2020 — we all know what happened next. As NYC was hammered by early waves of COVID, Rachel temporarily moved in with Ian, thinking it’d all be over in a month or two… Eventually, temporary turned into forever.
Roosevelt Island
Ian and Rachel lived together in Ian’s tiny Brooklyn apartment for a little under a year. When the lease was up, they took a chance visit to Roosevelt Island, a small 800 ft wide, 2 mile long island in the middle of the East River. They fell in love, and managed to find an apartment — the first they would pick together.
First Camping Trip
After moving to Chicago, Ian and Rachel went camping borrowing gear from family. Unbeknownst to them, becuase it was October (off-season), the train they took no longer stopped at the right station, and the nearest place to buy firewood was closed. They arrived late, cold and hungry and assembled the tent in complete darkness, only to realize it was tiny — designed for a single person.
Adopting Kayce
Ian and Rachel expanded their family by adopting Kayce, a 4-month-old Cavalier Spaniel puppy. Kayce slowly came out of his shell and won them over. He’s been on their laps and trying to eat their food ever since.
Engagement
In June 2024, Ian surprised Rachel with a trip to their old stomping ground: Boston. He planned a day of sightseeing, which wrapped up with a walk through Beacon Hill— the neighborhood they walked through one night in 2018 where they first decided to start dating. Ian handmade the engagement ring using the diamond from his grandmother’s engagement ring.
