Tanaz & Vince are getting married

In my first memory of Vince, I see him sitting on the steps in front of Columbia Journalism School with a few of our classmates, suggesting we all go play ping pong together. I remember thinking he was sweet. We didn't talk much in the first few weeks, but eventually we were assigned to a group project that had something to do with advice columns. And while we waited for our third teammate to show up at the coffee shop or join the Zoom, I would read the columns aloud to Vince and ask him how he would handle the issue. I loved hearing how his mind worked.

I quickly learned that he was patient, thoughtful, and smart. Anytime someone in our cohort had a question or needed homework help, he was always the first in the Slack channel to volunteer, and I loved how clearly he explained complex problems. It took longer to learn that he pours a lot of himself into whatever he's working on, he is unyielding and disciplined about achieving his goals, and he is optimistic regardless of circumstance. The more I learned, the more I loved.

Then one day, Vince asked me to go out. I thought it might be a date, but I wasn't sure (spoiler: it was). We went to a bar called Bixi and talked for hours. I don't remember what we chatted about or even where we went on our second date, but I remember feeling giddy and so happy on my walk home that night.

From our first days at Columbia Journalism School, Tanaz stood out. Her curly hair, her smile, and the bold way she asked questions in class instantly drew me in. I also learned early on that one of her greatest gifts is that she's an incredible listener. She's endlessly curious, asks thoughtful questions, and is genuinely interested in learning about absolutely anything.

When we were paired for a group project, it felt like the perfect excuse to spend real, uninterrupted time with her. I remember feeling thrilled and nervous, hoping she wouldn't notice how much I looked forward to every meeting.

Our Slack conversations quickly went from project updates to learning everything we could about each other. Over the next few months, we spent countless hours chatting. I'd sit in class trying to focus, but instead I'd be messaging Tanaz and sneaking glances to see if my dumb joke had managed to make her smile. Talking to her became the best part of my day.

I knew I was falling in love, but I had no idea whether Tanaz felt the same. So I played it cool and asked if she wanted to "hang out," carefully avoiding the word date (spoiler: it was very much a date). At a bar called Bixi in Harlem, we spent a cold December night talking and laughing, and I remember loving how easy it was to be around her. By the time we said goodnight, I knew I wanted that "hang out" to be the first of many.