Alex and I met at Leeward Community College during the spring semester in 1998, during a math class at night.

I first noticed Alex when he rolled in to class with a skateboard and he said he was attracted to me because I was always dressed in business attire.

There were less than 10 students in the class. Alex had collected everyone's phone number to start a study session at Border's, but the only person that showed up was me. I later found out he didn't invite anyone else to the study session because he wanted to get to know me better and the reason he asked for everyone's number was just to get mine.

Later that semester, Alex had invited me to a beach house party. At the end of the night, the song "My Heart Will Go On" played on the house stereo and we shared our first dance on the beach.

I remember looking into each other's eyes, smiling, our hearts racing, and just enjoying the moment. We dated for a couple more months and one early morning, on April 5, 1998, while dropping me home, we shared our first kiss.

Our relationship is meant to go the distance because we value each other's needs, wants and desires. Although we both come from different backgrounds — Alex is Korean and an only child; I am Filipino and the youngest of three — we accept each other for who we are.

We both knew that college education was a priority, and so it was the first goal we needed to accomplish. Alex graduated from UH-Manoa in 1999 and started working as an accountant. I graduated from UH-West O'ahu in 2003 and, with a disappointing job search for me and an unchallenging work for Alex, the thought of changing our careers to nursing came to mind.

We both enjoy interacting with people, and nursing would give us that opportunity.

In 2004, we both enrolled in our first of many prerequisite courses for nursing, and he soon moved in with me. In the summer of 2006, we both were accepted into the UH-Manoa accelerated 18-month nursing program.

Throughout nursing school, we supported each other financially, physically and emotionally. We always made time for our relationship — whether to go out to dinner, movie or just walk on the beach — in order to enjoy our love for each other.

After 9 1/2 years of being together, through accounting and nursing school, from living apart to living together, we finally came to the point in our lives where we're ready to be married, begin our nursing careers and start a family.

I believe our relationship is strong because we communicate with each other, we are best friends and we have trust in each other.

A wedding on March 31 would also be a wonderful birthday gift for me.

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