Kristian’s and Sanj’s love story begins the way most love stories do these days, with a swipe and match on Hinge. Originally from Tacoma, Washington, but having lived in multiple places, Kristian had recently moved to Houston for work. Sanj was a busy third year medical student in the middle of her OBGYN rotation. Due to their full schedules & past dating experiences, they didn’t have very high hopes for each other and barely chatted before meeting up. They decided to meet on a Sunday evening in October 2023 at a coffee shop that is a staple in the Houston community, Agora. They learned that they each had ties to Denmark (Sanj studied abroad there for a semester in college and Kristian’s extended family is from there). They continued the date at another coffee shop, talking for over 3 hours. Sanj was attracted to Kristian’s quiet confidence and worldly intellect, and he was captured by her bubbly personality, dedication to becoming a doctor, and the way she talked about her friends and family.

While they were both initially treading very carefully, they soon recognized there was something special between them. After the new year, Kristian asked Sanj to be his girlfriend. Kristian continued to win Sanj over by making her delicious homemade meals and dancing with her & her extended family all night at an Indian wedding. He became her steady sounding board, showing up for her consistently. In the early spring, they took a trip to Fredericksburg (during a winter storm) where Sanj told Kristian she loved him. Sanj especially loved the way Kristian embraced her dog, Milo, his strong moral compass, and the way he cared deeply for others. Over the course of the next few months, they recognized that they shared extremely similar values, priorities, beliefs, and outlooks for the future. In August of 2024, just 8 months after becoming official, they moved in together.

They continued to support each other’s highly demanding lives. Kristian served as Sanj’s rock throughout the rest of her clinical year of medical school, the brutal STEP 2 exam, the rigorous dermatology application cycle, including months of audition rotations where he flew to visit her in cities across the country. Sanj was unwavering in her support and belief in him as he grew his company & faced many unique challenges and uncertainty as a start up founder.

They also blended their worlds together seamlessly, sharing Thanksgiving 2024 in Austin as Kristian’s parents and brother flew to Texas to spend the holiday with Sanj, her mom, stepdad, & sister. Within this time, they (impulsively) decided to adopt a stray dog, picking her up directly from the streets of Houston. Toffee is now the biggest daddy’s girl and along with her brother, Milo, is the center of their world.

In spring 2025, they were ecstatic when Sanj graduated medical school having matched into Dermatology residency in Houston, where Kristian’s company is based and Sanj’s parents live. However, as Sanj’s intern year was in Fort Worth, they had a year of long distance ahead of them. They successfully navigated long distance, learning how to become even better communicators, making them stronger than ever.

Halfway through their year of long distance during the holidays in December 2025, they had a trip planned to Aruba to get their scuba diving license. Kristian knew he wanted to propose on this trip, as he had the ring for 3 months prior, but Sanj had requested it be a surprise. This was proving to be difficult as Sanj is usually their trip planner and she had made a busy itinerary. However Kristian was determined to make the proposal happen, and keep it a surprise. On December 27th, 2025, they had a national park tour planned. Kristian found the guide info’s from Sanj’s phone and got the guide in on the plan. After 3 hours of hiking and swimming in the ocean, the guide took them to the remote Quaddirqi cave where Kristian got down on one knee and asked Sanj to marry him. It was intimate and beautiful, with the light from outside shining into the cave, creating a heart shape in the rock formation (all thoughtfully planned ahead by Kristian). The best part was that Sanj was caught completely off guard, but had zero doubts! After she said yes, they called their family & close friends to share the news and got to enjoy the rest of that trip as fiancees!

In their free time, they enjoy taking their dogs to the dog park, playing competitive games of pickleball, eating at restaurants, going on hikes/walks, and exploring fun nightlife.

They also share a love for exploring the world! Together they have traveled to over 15 cities and 6 (& counting) countries, lifted each other up through extremely busy careers and life challenges, and embraced each others’ families, friends, & traditions. They also recently became first time home owners! They will be in Houston for at least three more years & then are open to where life takes them!