Isabel Ravenna with her boyfriend at a bar
The author, left, met her boyfriend, right, when he moved in next door.
  • When my neighbor moved in, we slowly became friends and realized we had a deep connection.
  • Once we admitted to having feelings for each other, we needed to set boundaries to avoid rushing.
  • We realized the boundaries weren't working, so we went all in on our relationship.

Every couple has a prepared response to the question, "So, how'd you two meet?"

Whenever I get asked this, I always give a short and sweet answer: "He moved in next door to me."

The long answer is much more complicated and tumultuous.