In 2009, I met a boy named Julio Juarez.
He was the class clown/know-it-all that I never really got along with, but I still managed to call him my friend. We were both in relationships all throughout high school, so, we basically wasted our time with other people. It wasn’t until after high school in 2015 that we reconnected and realized our chemistry.
After reconnecting and going on a couple of dates, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I obviously said yes! We only dated for two years, but we went through so much together in those short (but long) years. Both of our families are from the same country, El Salvador, so they basically got along.
He proposed on March 6th, 2017 — my 21 birthday.
A week later, we were on a plane for spring break heading to LA and then Honolulu, Hawaii. In Hawaii, on March 16, 2017, Julio’s 21 birthday, we were pronounced husband and wife.
Yes — we both cried during our vows.
No — not everyone knew about the marriage, including our parents.
I know what you’re thinking. “You’re 21!”“Why not after college?” “Why would you do that behind your parent’s backs?”
It was thought out, trust me.
In an attempt to hide it from our parents, I didn’t change my last name. Eventually we told them, and while they were not pleased at first, they eventually got over it.
I am not going to sit here and lie to you, marriage is hard, especially at this age. We live in my parents’ house. We are both full time students. I am currently working on a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Julio has an Associate’s degree in IT: Network Design & Systems Administration, and he is currently working on a dual degree in Computer Engineering & Electrical Engineering.
Julio also works full time at Winthrop University Hospital, and I work part time with the NY Red Bulls training kids in soccer, Friday through Sunday. So, we basically only have Tuesdays to spend with one another if we don’t have errands or appointments to do. We’re usually way too exhausted to converse before bed. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. We only tell each other important stuff before bed. All other things are through text.
We have three cars and a cat together — a 2012 Honda Civic, a 2014 Genesis Coupe 2014, a 2017 Toyota 86, and a calico cat. She was born shortly after we started dating, and she was a gift for me. We are looking into possibly getting a house in 2018 or 2019.
We are very happily married, although the distance of the real world gets exhausting. I’m hoping for the best as we continue this journey together!