Interview with the Couple

We thought it would be fun to share our story through a series of questions and answers, as if we were sitting down with you talking about what brought us to where we are today. Before we get started, get to know who you're "chatting" with:

The Groom started out in Marysville, CA and lived

there until 6th grade when he moved to Fort Meade,

MD. He always had a love for classic American cars

but it wasn't until he purchased his first car, a 1977 Camaro, that he was able to grow that love. His passion for mechanics turned into a career with the Air Force after graduating high school. He now works on the KC-46 at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, CA.

His life dream is race in the 24 hours of Lemons or go to the 24 hours of Le Mans, whichever one comes first.

Thomas

Sahara

The Bride was raised in Odenton, MD, where her love

of writing and photography evolved into a passion for

journalism and communications. She carried that passion

to the University of Mississippi, following in her Aunt's and Grandmother's footsteps. After graduating, she made the move to California to be closer to Thomas and by happy coincidence, landing a job in San Rafael, where her mother grew up.

Her life dream is to visit every National Park in the U.S. and see a wild giraffe in real life.

Oct. 2021, Long Distance calls

Jun. 2025, S moves to Cali!

So, how'd you two meet?

T: On the last day of a class we had together, I got the courage to ask for her number and she gave me the wrong number.

S: In my defense, he was going to graduate soon and I had a vision of my future where I lived in a studio apartment in DC as a crazy dog lady. It wasn't personal!

T: Well, it worked out because I caught her in the lie when I texted the number and it bounced.

S: Yeah, he got extra points for effort and I gave in. Best decision ever.

You’ve done the long-distance thing. What was that really like?

T: People make it seem a lot worse than it actually is. You just have to give each other more time together than you would in person since you're missing a bunch of different parts of an in-person relationship that make it work.

S: Yeah, it's not ideal but, 100% doable. We spent A LOT of time on Facetime together just doing homework or playing video games, not just chatting or watching movies. We'd also have the occasional dinner dates where we'd doordash each other food. The hardest part honestly was having to balance time spent calling each other with in-person friends. Kind of like any relationship.

What’s a normal day together look like now?

S: When we’re not working, we’re either homebodies or explorers. There is no in-between. On lazy days, we’ll sit down to scroll on every streaming app known to man for about an hour and a half, finally choose a movie… and then just let whatever is suggested next play automatically.
T: Yeah… because we fall asleep.
S: But when we’re feeling adventurous, we take full advantage of living in the Bay Area. Being just a few hours from the Central Coast, Sacramento, Tahoe, and right next to Marin and San Francisco gives us the ability to explore every other weekend.
T: And, most weekends include a stop at our favorite bagel place, Bageltopia in Berkeley.

What's your favorite thing about each other?

T: My favorite thing about Sahara is that she's funny (no, she didn't make me say this). She's always saying something that will make me laugh. And she always goes the extra mile in everything she does. You give her something to do and she'll do her best to make it perfect.

S: Thomas is the most generous person I know. If you ask him for help, the answer is always 'yes'. He’s also incredibly loyal to everyone he's ever been friends with. Since knowing him, I've noticed that he can go months or even a couple years without talking to someone and then pick right back up like zero time has passed. I think it says everything about the kind of person he is.

What are you most excited about for your future together?

T: Just getting to see her every day for the rest of my life. I’m excited to go through life side-by-side and eventually build a family together. I know we'll be a good team.
S: Aww, I’m excited for the same thing in my own way. I love the idea of having a constant person in my life. So much in life changes but marriage feels like choosing someone who’s always in your corner. We’ll both grow and change, but if we do it together, that’s all I need.