Although Callum and Katie's photo together (below) may suggest that they met at Queen's University on homecoming, these two cuties go waaaay back. Having grown up in the same town, Callum and Katie actually attended the same elementary school and first met in kindergarten. As they both have older siblings of similar ages, their families have been close for years. Despite sharing a hometown, this pair is another long distance success story, as Katie attends university in Halifax, NS and Callum is a student here at Queen's University.
As these two have been friends for such a long time, Katie found it hard to pinpoint the exact moment when their friend-hangouts became dates...
Katie: "In the beginning, there was such a blurred line between our friendship and something more that I don’t even know which dinner or activity was actually a date lol."
According to Callum, after years of friendship, they finally become 'something more' in the summer after second year.
Callum: "We went to a TFC game for a date, but after that things didn’t get more serious until the following summer."
Since they met when they were really young, their first impressions of each other were from when they were only 8 years old.
Katie: "We used to sit beside each other in class and he would make me laugh so hard that I would get kicked out. This happened multiple times before we just weren’t allowed to sit next to each other. So I think I would say how absurd and funny he is."
Callum: "My first impression was probably that she was annoying, because that’s how all girls seem when you’re 8 years old. These days, that’s changed and she’s just really goofy, but it’s fine, because I’m also a weirdo. Also, she has huge blue eyes which most people notice immediately."
One of their favourite memories together was when Katie visited Callum in Paris (where he was on exchange) and they got to do some real travelling together for the first time. However, Katie also fondly remembers their first Christmas together...
Katie: "It’s a toss-up between the time I went to visit him in Paris while he was on exchange and our first Christmas together. Christmas is my absolute favourite holiday and it’s also Callum’s birthday, so that’s a pretty great combo."
When asked what their favourite thing or quality was about each other, Katie explained that she really admires Callum's work ethic, positive outlook, and (of course) his Movember beard.
Katie: "It’s hard to pick just one." *smiles*
Callum: "Katie’s a super hard worker, and when there’s something she doesn't understand, she makes it her goal to be an expert. It always amazes me how she stays motivated, even when faced with the toughest challenges."
Katie: "I get super stressed out about stuff so it’s amazing to have Cal to keep things in perspective. I’ve also been pushing for him to grow a beard for a while so I was pumped to hear about his Movember campaign."
As for what they like to do together for fun, Katie and Callum enjoy going camping together when they are both home for the summer, .
Katie: "The first time we went camping together was really reassuring because it was like three days in the woods with just him and he only annoyed me a little."
*winks at Callum*
Katie: "Callum is a pretty ridiculous guy so he makes the most mundane activities a lot better."
As for Callum, he loves how well Katie gets along with his parents and looks forward to their get-togethers.
Callum: "I swear they like her more than me. We’ve had some great times on a Saturday afternoon drinking wine and eating cheese with Cheryl and Harv."
Since these two are provinces apart during the school year, long distance has been a major challenge for this couple.
Katie: "We’ve been really good at making it work and I think it has to do with how close we got before dating. We talked for almost a year before we made anything 'official' and I think that created a really strong base for us."
Callum: "We’ve been really lucky because Katie has been on Co-op in Toronto for the last year, but doing long distance when she’s at school in Halifax is not ideal. But we’ve found ways to make the distance work and it hasn’t been so bad!"
When asked if they had any other funny or cute stories to share, Katie dished on Callum's sleep talking habits, while Callum shared the struggle of trying to watch a movie with Katie.
Katie: "Callum is a notorious sleep talker, which is even funnier considering I’m a super light sleeper. This one time, a couple months ago, I woke up to Callum asking me 'Are you ready?' so naturally I responded 'Ready for what?' He then proceeded to ask me 'Are you ready to start your own business?'...not your average 2:00 am, half asleep conversation, but hey, it’s a good story."
Callum: "Katie is the worst to watch movies with because she actually just falls asleep after two seconds. If you want to watch anything with her, you have to do it before 10PM or there's no chance she's staying awake."
Having gone from childhood friends to a #relationshipgoals worthy couple, these two had some wise words to share with our readers of Human Crossing regarding relationships.
Katie: "Callum and I both can’t stand being passive aggressive in a relationship so we made a 'no bullsh*t' rule. Basically, this just means always sharing our thoughts, good or bad, to make sure anything that could become a problem does not."
Callum: "Not only do we have a ton of fun together, but I can also say that Katie makes me smarter, and some of the best conversations I’ve ever had have been with her. Find someone who you can learn new things from, but who also has some similar interests to you."
- Love, Human Crossing
p.s. If you are interested in learning more about how other Queen's alumni are doing...check out our friends at The Limestone Era. (They even feature the iconic Professor D. J. McConomy!)