Mae and Marson. M^2. (Andrew chimes in “Who calls us that? No one calls us that.”) This couple has been together for almost two years now and is still going strong. What’s the secret? It could be that Marson’s successful car YouTube channel (Marspeed) is the glue, or Mae’s creative friendship bracelets (insta: @getknotty_), but who knows. (Side note, if you want to read more about Mae's entrepreneurial adventures, check out her interview with 180degrees.)
How did you meet?
Mae: Through mutual friends. He lived in a house of guys that I was friends with, so I would hear about him from time to time, typically referred to as ‘Marson.’ I don’t know if I remember the exact moment that we first met face-to-face, but it was probably there.
Andrew: She was friends with some of my housemates and was around my house here and there. I remember having a long conversation before Christmas break when we happened to be eating at the dinner table together, and then after the break we started to talk on social media and hang out more.
Can you describe your first date or first few times hanging out?
Mae: Not sure if I remember what we did for our first ‘official’ date because we started hanging out around midterms…Probably studying together at my house. I will say that one of my favorite dates has been café hopping together for our nine month anniversary. We basically tried to go to nine cafes and buy one thing to share (drink or snack), but had to tap out around the 5th or 6th one because I was actually coming down with a really bad cold that day and was feeling miserable. But it was super fun!
Andrew: I don’t think we had an official ‘first date’ but the first week of seeing each other we spent a lot of time studying together for a finance midterm we both had. Then our time was cut short because reading week was after the exam and she went back home to New Brunswick and I went back to Toronto. Once reading week was over we had a real ‘date’ getting takeout sushi together.
What was your first impression of each other?
Mae: It actually took ages for me to catch a real glimpse of him, because for the longest time I only ever knew OF him haha…I would be at his house all the time for group dinners or studying, but I never really saw him because he was the ‘ghost housemate,’ so I only ever saw a glimpse of him walking in or out of the house to go to the gym/hockey at weird hours (since at the time he was basically on a nocturnal schedule). The first time I actually saw him was in second year when I saw his name on his name card in a class (COMM 190) and turned to my friend Alana and said OMG I think this is our first sighting of the ghost housemate!
Andrew: I had seen her around Goodes Hall and my house here and there but never really talked to her at all. I remember having that first chat with her and then once we started texting and snapchatting I thought she was super cool and fun and just found her SUPER easy to talk to. Everything just seemed to click with us.
What is your favourite memory together?
Mae: Skating together in Toronto at 2 am at an empty ice rink. Oh wait, or travelling to a bunch of tourist-y destinations near my hometown in New Brunswick in the summer after second year. Or when Andrew visited me on exchange in Maastricht (The Netherlands) and we did a bike ride to Belgium for a picnic, went sight-seeing and visited his family Italy, and got to check out Marseille, France. There’s just too many good ones, I can’t pick!
Andrew: We have so many special memories together that I can’t just pick one! Three standout to me. The first was our first Christmas together, having tons of fun together during the holidays. We went skating, watched Christmas movies, and decorated the tree! Another would be my first time driving out to New Brunswick with her. I had never done such a long road trip or been out to the East Coast so it was a totally new experience for me. And the last one is my time visiting her in Europe while she was on exchange. We travelled to four different countries together and had a month of fun activities!
What is your favourite thing or quality about each other?
Mae: I think he has a great heart. That sounds cheesy, but I just think that it’s so true. Andrew is willing to do almost anything for the people he cares about and he is just such a truly kind and genuine person, and also puts up with (and indulges in) all of my off-colour humor. Andrew is also really good at communicating, even if we disagree on things, he is always the one to make sure that we fully talk things through and I really appreciate and value that.
Andrew: Mae is one of the sweetest people around. She is super caring and friendly and is always willing to help out her friends or anyone who needs it. I also love that she is always so supportive of me. There are so many times where she helps me get through something and I can always talk to her about any personal issues I have, knowing she will be there to support me. No matter what my goals or dreams are, or if I have to stay up all night working on a video, she never questions it and always believes in me which really helps to motivate me!
What you like to do together for fun?
Mae: Watch Riverdale and offer some quality, amateur video commentary. Usually along the lines of “Hey, no real high schooler would get away with that!” Also, sometimes I star in his YouTube videos. So far we’ve filmed ‘Girlfriend Drives My Dodge Charger…And Floors It!’ and ‘Girls Answering Car Questions’ (part 1 and 2), featuring some of my friends. His subscribers really want us to do another girlfriend video haha.
(Check out the OG video of Mae driving Andrew's car around New Brunswick.)
Andrew: We like to watch a lot of Netflix shows and movies together and heavily criticize what happens on screen. When we have time we love to do fun activities together, like visiting new places (such as tourist attractions) or going skating together. Anything is fun when we are together though, even simple things like grocery shopping.
(Mae: "You copied mine!" Andrew: "No I swear, I didn't, I was thinking of that before you even said it!")
What are some challenges you've overcome?
Mae: Definitely long distance. Exchange wasn’t actually that hard because we’d gotten used to doing long distance over the summer (Ontario to New Brunswick), but I think what made it easier is that we find a way to keep track of the days. The first summer we did long distance, Andrew drove back to New Brunswick with me and stayed for a month, so we actually said goodbye for an extended period of time for the first time in NB, which was a bit different. We also did a few things to pass the time, like making a note jar and ‘open when’ letters. Marson is a big fan of setting up a countdown app on his phone so he can count down the minutes haha.
Andrew: I would say long distance too. Every time we leave each other for a long period of time (like in the summer, Christmas break, or exchange) it’s always really sad and emotional and you don’t want to see the other person go because you know it will be a while before you next see them. Things like Snapchat and Facetime help us to get through it because we can talk to each other all the time even if we are physically far apart. We also have done things to help us pass the time while we are apart, such as “Open When” notes.
Do you have any funny or cute stories?
Mae: So, to preface this, I’m much more of a cook than Andrew is. One time, my friend left garlic on the counter after we’d made dinner together. Andrew picked it up and asked me if I wanted him to put the onion in the fridge. LOL. Also, one time, my housemate and I convinced him that my green onions were a vegetable called ‘wild grass.’
Andrew: The first time she was coming to meet my family (for Easter dinner) I drove her and my sister over to my aunt’s house. She was drinking coffee and as soon as she got out of the car, she started laughing uncontrollably and spat out a mouthful of coffee everywhere. She was so embarrassed, but my sister and I thought it was hilarious and it’s always a good laugh whenever we bring it up.
Do you have any advice for our readers?
Mae: Communication is very important. Don’t let things fester, or they’ll turn into big things. Long distance only works if you both put in the effort, like making time to talk often and finding ways to pass the time. Also, don’t try and force a relationship to happen. I mean sure, put yourself out there and meet new people, but I think that if it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and let it happen naturally.
Andrew: My main piece of advice for any relationship is that communication is one of the most important aspects. Both partners need to always communicate and understand each other, and it’s important to be on the same page. It’s better to be open about everything than keeping closed/distancing yourself from the other person. Another thing is long distance. I’ve found that it just doesn’t work for certain people but it is definitely possible, it just takes full effort and commitment for both people. In any relationship just let things play out and see where things lead.
- 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!)