From the first day to the best day

It all began in June of 2017, under the low hum of fluorescent lights and the sharp clack of billiard balls at a pool tournament in Somerset. Among the laughter, competition, and casual conversation, fate had its own game in mind—one far more meaningful than 8-ball or 9-ball. Since we connected at that tournament, we continued to conversate and saw each other at pool league. Our first date was August 2nd 2017, attending a concert at the Clearfield County Fair. After that, we continued connecting when our schedules aligned and one of us was able to make the drive to the other. At this point, we lived an hour apart but we made it work. Andrew would drive down to see me for a few hours after he was finished working for the day. He would stay the night, occasionally, then make the hour drive into work in the morning. I (Jerrica) did the same in return, as i would travel from Altoona to Warfordsburg for school, making an hour and a half drive in the morning. This is when our sacrifices began for each other. 

In May 2018, I (Jerrica) graduated high school—a time full of dreams and uncertainty. Through it all, Andrew never once questioned my path. He didn’t ask for explanations or promises; he simply believed in me. That kind of unwavering support is rare, and it was one of the first ways I knew our love was something special.

I started working at Hollister in August 2018, making minimum wage and trying to figure out where I fit into the world. By November, life took a turn when I was offered a job at Altoona Neon, a sign company—the same place Andrew worked. It was a small but powerful sign that our lives were meant to grow side by side. Pun intended.

February 2019 marked a huge milestone for us: we bought our first home together. What most people don’t know is that before that, we lived in Andrew’s parents' garage and later moved into the house with them. Those days weren’t glamorous, but they were full of love, sacrifice, and grit. We learned so much about each other—not just how to live together, but how to dream together.

Our first home wasn’t just a house. It became a symbol of everything we were building. We spent nearly five years pouring ourselves into it—renovating, planning, fixing, learning, and sometimes just surviving. It wasn’t always easy, but it was always worth it. When we first bought the house, there was no furnace but we were so excited to have our own place that we slept there anyway in the coldest temperatures of the winter. We also roasted hot dogs in front of a gas turbo heater. Not the best choices but some of our fondest memories.  

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