We were introduced by our dear friend Lois, who had a hunch we’d hit it off. She was right. At the time, Rachel was living in New York City and John in New Orleans. What started with texts quickly turned into late-night phone calls, then a long Memorial Day weekend together in New York City.

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Soon, our visits became more frequent—and longer. There were several sojourns in New Orleans filled with music, Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, king cake (gluten-free for Rachel), and frizzy swamp hair (Rachel’s, mostly).

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After a two-week adventure in Oaxaca and many jaunts back and forth, it was clear what needed to happen: John sold his house, Rachel sold John’s things, and John packed what was left into his Jetta and headed north to be with his Mardi Gras queen.

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The rest is unfolding—beautifully, joyfully, together.