Our Story

Yaya: Picture it: Cal State LA, the year 2000, Intro to Communication Studies class. This was our second semester. I personally was dreading this class, but it was, and still is, a requirement. I was an engineering major my first year; all I wanted to do was build things, not talk to people. I walked into class with a buddy of mine. There was Karina, being all chatty… Some things never change. She had the cutest Betty Page bangs! I think it was our second speech, for which we had to research a topic. I forget, but Karina gave me some material she had that would help me. And that’s when I asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend! Just kidding.

 

Karina: Calm down! Young Karina - certainly chatty, certainly had cute bangs ( I should cut my bangs!) - did not want to be a girlfriend. Yes, yes, you were “kind of a Baldwin” but so so shy. I had to initiate all conversations.

 

Yaya: Well, I know you didn’t! Comedic effect, Karina! Yes, you are right, you DID have to initiate all conversations. You made me nervous. What can I say?

 

Karina: So after COMM class ended we just went our separate ways. Fast forward a few weeks and I see Yaya reading a newspaper in the cool cafe on campus- Cafe LA. I approached her and asked- how are you? Remember me from COMM 150? I stood there smiling. AND was returned with no eye contact, no acknowledgement. I got a “yeah.” *eye roll* I awkwardly responded with “ok, great” and went back to my friends. In the corner of my eye I see Yaya gather her things and run out of the cafe. RUDE!

 

Yaya: Again, you made me nervous! I can’t believe I passed COMM and still couldn’t manage to do small talk with you. I don’t know what was wrong with me. Also, I don’t think I gathered my things and ran out!  I did get better. I would talk to you when I would deliver the mail to the NSS Advisement Center. I remember when you worked in the student union as well. I would talk to you there too. By then, I had built up my soft skills, haha! I REALLY liked you!

 

Karina: Anyway… fast forward to our “first date,” aka meetup. Yes, I initiated.

 

Yaya: -_- … Are we talking Aloha or are we talking Fred 62? Our official first date was Fred 62.

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The In-between 

 

Karina: That was taking way too long. We officially got “together” August 4, 2013, and contrary to queer fashion we did not “U-Haul.” We moved in together in October 2013. Lol! Happy mother’s to our fur baby Hunter Lee and later had an unplanned…

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Yaya: An unplanned addition to our family: Charlee, our second dog. Karina was supposed to watch her for a week and ended up keeping her! I'm glad she did! The four of us had many wonderful adventures over the years. Sadly, we lost Charlee to cancer in May 2022. Hunter passed in November of last year at the ripe old age of 18. We miss them so much. 

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The Proposal

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Yaya: I proposed to Karina at Disneyland, her favorite place in the whole world. I tucked the ring into my backpack. I had a plan: take her to the Wishing Well, have a Disney photographer ready to catch the moment, and forever tell the story of the magical moment. Well... of course, it did not go as planned. Now, as you all know, Karina is really chill and always along for the ride in any situation. Not. That. Day. Or, at least, not at the exact moment I wanted to take her to the well.

 

My theory is that the Disney villains plotted against me.

 

I told her that I wanted to go to the Wishing Well to "activate our Magic Bands."

 

She was like, "Do we have to go now?"

 

"Yes" I said, "Or else we will miss the cool thing that'll appear. It's timed!"

 

"What?", she asked.

 

"I don't know, it's something I read about on the app. It's supposed to be really cool."

 

She ROLLED her eyes and begrudgingly followed.

 

I eyed the well and all was clear, but I had to go secure a photographer, so I told Karina that I had to use the bathroom really quickly.

 

"Wait here", I said.

 

I snuck over to a photographer and said, "Hi, I'm about to propose to my girlfriend at the Wishing Well, will you please take pictures of us while I do it?"

 

She gasped and said, "Yes! I'll let the other photographer that's closer take pictures as well, so you can have different angles!"

 

"Oh wow, that will be amazing, thank you! I'll go get her now!"

 

I ran over and grabbed my moody girlfriend. As we walk over, I see a couple with their kid having way too much fun at the well. They were not moving.

 

I look around and see both photographers walking AWAY from the well. WHAT?! Karina is not happy.

 

"Well, what are we supposed to be looking at?", she says.

 

The family is not moving!

 

"Um, let me take a look at the band. It's supposed to activate the well and it's supposed to do something."

 

I was like, screw it - just do it now. I was taking my time to get the ring out, and FINALLY the family left. The photographers are nowhere in sight. I had to do it at that point.

 

I get down on one knee and ask her to marry me and...

 

"Shut up!" she said laughing.

 

She said yes, and I put the ring on her finger and LITERALLY just as I get up, cast members come to tell us to leave because the parade is about to start. SMH.

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