When Darcy Green relocated from Sydney to Oxford in 2018 to pursue a master's degree, her ambitions were academic and athletic. Falling in love was decidedly not on her agenda. However, life had other plans, leading to a serendipitous romance that began in a university common room and culminated in a wedding.
An Auspicious Meeting Over Aussie Rules Football
The couple's story started at an unconventional hour. Darcy navigated Oxford's cobbled alleyways in pre-dawn darkness to attend a screening of the AFL Grand Final, where the time difference meant an early start in the UK. There, she encountered Miranda, who was energetically greeting arrivals, distributing coffee and avocado-laden bagels to sleepy fellow Australians.
Darcy was immediately struck by Miranda's amazing smile and vibrant energy. Yet, with Miranda deeply focused on the Collingwood match, a deeper connection would have to wait. In the following weeks, Darcy learned more about Miranda's impressive life: she was a master's student in classical archaeology, a rower, president of the Oxford University Australia and New Zealand Society, and a member of a top chapel choir. The totality of her achievements felt, in Darcy's own words, "terrifying."
The Strategy of a Smouldering Pudding
Darcy's initial approach was cautious, hoping to attract attention without the nerve-racking step of direct conversation. The breakthrough came at a raucous pot-luck dinner she hosted at her graduate accommodation near the end of Michaelmas term. Amid mulled wine and high spirits, Darcy placed Miranda in charge of the music, sparking a conversation that involved good-natured roasting over Christmas song choices.
The true turning point, however, was culinary. Darcy intentionally set the Christmas pudding alight, a flamboyant act that finally captured Miranda's full attention. Emboldened by this success and a nip of brandy, Darcy found the courage to ask her out.
The Winter Confession on Turl Street
Two months later, the pair were walking hand-in-hand down Turl Street on a blustery winter day in Oxford. Their clasped fingers were warm in the pocket of Darcy's teal coat. The conversation turned to Jane Austen, and Darcy, explaining why she found the author's works profoundly romantic, used their own relationship as a spontaneous example of finding someone you wish to be with forever.
For someone who usually found discussing feelings difficult, the words flowed effortlessly with Miranda. After a brief, nervous moment, Miranda's smile confirmed she felt the same. This accidental confession in 2019 became the definitive moment Darcy knew.
Weathering Distance and a Pandemic to ‘I Do’
The journey from that Oxford winter to the altar was not straightforward. The couple endured a long-distance relationship, the global COVID-19 pandemic, unexpected cohabitation in a tiny flat, and a last-minute interstate move organised in under three days. They persevered, marrying in September 2022.
Now settled in Melbourne with two spoiled indoor rabbits, Darcy reflects on that unexpected confession as a pivotal point. While there have been many wonderful moments since, the memory of that honest, wintry conversation on a historic Oxford street remains a cherished foundation of their life together.
