Feature Friday with Mitchell Roberts & Alex Young

Happy Friday everyone! We are SO excited to finally be able to say TGIF because THREE DAY WEEKEND. Thomas' sister and her husband are back again this weekend (2 weekends in a row?!) for Labor Day but this time, they brought their kids a.k.a. OUR nieces and nephews! There's 6 kids and they brought a friend, so it should be a fun time. Besides that we plan to relax on the river this weekend with family and friends and hopefully work on our tans because, yikes.

For this week's Feature Friday we wanted to switch it up and include our first couple to showcase for you guys! We are so excited about this and plan on it becoming a regular thing so that y'all (and us!) can learn a little more about what makes different couples work. It's always fun to see how other people do love and relationships and we are so happy to share Alex and Mitchell's story with you guys. We think it's pretty romantic and we think y'all will too.

So, without further ado.... :)

Where are you from? Lexington, North Carolina

Where do you live? Boone, North Carolina

What’s your Instagram handle? @alexbrianyoung @mitchellroberts_

Relationship Status? Single… just kidding!

How long have you guys been together? We’ve known each other about three years and have been together over two years.

How did you guys meet and where? We met through high school marching band. Well, almost. Alex was on the drumline, Mitchell was just the nerd on the Quiz Bowl team, but we both had mutual friends through band. We graduated from high schools in the same county, Mitchell being a year older than Alex. Mitchell got a text one day from a friend saying “Hey I’ve got this friend named Alex and you need to meet him.” We know these kinds of interactions usually involve something along the lines of  “I’ve a friend who’s gay and you’re gay… so you’re perfect for each other!” but this was completely different. We hit it off from the start and Mitchell took one look at Alex’s Instagram and his reaction was *jaw hitting the floor* and *hearts pop out of eyes.* After graduating, Mitchell attended the University of Delaware and we took a break from dating, not knowing what our futures held or if long distance was something we could handle. We both had maturing to do and, for the time being, went through lots of personal growth. Halfway through his first year, Mitchell decided Delaware just wasn’t a substitute for home and that he wanted to go back where he truly belonged- the mountains. When Alex graduated, he decided to attend Appalachian State University.  As fate would have it, we missed each other terribly and knew we were still head over heels for each other the summer before we both started at Appalachian.

Choose a movie title for the story of your relationship: We wish we could compare our love story to The Notebook or A Walk to Remember, but we’re honestly more of a The Emperor's New Groove. Disney movies are definitely some of our favorites, and we’ve seen this one probably no less than seven thousand times. We quote Kronk, Yzma, and Kuzco on a daily basis and love to laugh and joke around. Ultimately, what we love about our relationship is the dynamic of being able to be serious one minute and completely goofy the next.

What is something you have had to overcome as a couple? One of the hardest things for us as a couple has been feeling accepted in our small town. We love the South, but we also know that acceptance isn’t always easy when things break the norm. Both of us have stared prejudice in the face and experienced how hard it is to stand our ground. We’re still working every day to be the types of guys that make our mothers proud, and we look to other members of the lgbt+ community for endless support, inspiration, and love.

Tell us about your first date! Shortly after a friend set us up and we exchanged numbers, we spent a couple weeks talking to each other before we decided to go on our first date. After dinner at the best Mexican place Lexington has to offer (which just happens to be our favorite cuisine!), the coffee shop downtown turned out to be too crowded and noisy for us to carry on a conversation. We ended up sitting in Mitchell’s car in a vacant high school parking lot, just talking and cracking jokes. Later that night, when Alex’s 9pm curfew rolled around, we departed and Mitchell swears up and down to this day that he glanced up and saw a shooting star.

How would you describe your home décor style? The best way to describe our style is modern vintage. In terms of décor, opposites definitely attract. Some of our favorite ways to spruce up a space include barn doors, floor-to-ceiling curtains, and exposed brick. Mitchell loves mason jars- if you can put something in one, on one, under one, or around one, he’s sold. Alex is constantly inspired by clean lines, bold colors, and open spaces. Mitchell (with a little help from our friends) just moved into his new apartment that we so lovingly describe as industrial chic. Alex would like to think he can take credit for most of the design choices.

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? As cliché as it sounds, we want to see the world together. Between the two of us, we’ve been to nearly every state in the U.S., but neither of us have done much international traveling! Our dream trip would be to Europe or Asia; we just wanna see it all!

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? We both came out during our sophomore years in high school, and have been growing ever since. After that scary, uncertain time, we both felt like we could be the most genuine forms of ourselves. We are grateful beyond compare to have families that love us indefinitely, because we know not everyone experiences that. We’ve both had barriers on this journey, but we’ve also received so much love and support as well.

Best advice for staying together? Being in love with your best friend is being able to look at each other and feel at home. But there are moments in a relationship that test your strength and character, and that’s tough. However, we never go to sleep at night without saying “I love you.” We’ve never let an argument or pride keep us from resolving things and saying those three simple words to each other at the end of the day, except for maybe falling asleep first. But behind those three words is the action you put into them. It’s the late night cookie runs, staying in to watch a movie, drives out to the Blue Ridge Parkway (our favorite place), the nudge to let each other know that things are okay, the back rubs at night while the other is falling asleep, and the endless affection we both love to give each other. In our opinion, it’s all the little things that end up having the biggest impact.

What is the thing you love the most about each other?

Mitchell,

Simply put, there’s no way I can pick one thing I love most about you. Whether it’s your dad jokes, your adorkable laugh, your beautiful mind, your giving nature, or the sheer kindness of your heart, I got a little teary eyed just trying to pick just one. You’re my backbone and you give me strength I never knew I had.

Love, Alex

Alex,

There is a feeling I get when I’m with you that is best described in one word: home. You comfort me, you are my support system, and you make me feel complete. You love me unconditionally and I’ve fallen in love with you more and more each day. I love most of all the adventures we have had and all those yet to come. Life is so much better, and so much more fun, with you by my side.

Love, Mitchell